Singleton no to More Joyous at Royal Ascot

Owner John Singleton is adamant that his outstanding mare More Joyous will not race at Royal Ascot and concentrate on the Cox Plate in the Spring.

More Joyous

More Joyous will not race at Royal Ascot - photo (c) Steve Hart

Even with pressure from the all conquering Gai Waterhouse to travel overseas to the UK, Singleton is looking to take on another emerging superstar, Atlantic Jewel in the Spring.

Waterhouse  received an invitation from Royal Ascot for More Joyous to compete in the Group 1 £250,000 The Queen Anne Stakes (1600m) at Royal Ascot on June 19 and is keen to take the Doncaster winner there but will succumb to Singleton’s wishes.

“I’d like to take her but it’s up to Singo, he’s the owner,” Waterhouse said.

“But my husband did the form and he said More Joyous would start a short-priced favourite if she ran at Royal Ascot.”

Singleton can’t see a lot of benefit in travelling to England and believes a trip to Royal Ascot could only be detrimental to the multiple Group one winner.

“Gai never gives up but as far as Royal Ascot is concerned, nothing’s changed – I have no desire to take More Joyous there,” Singleton said.

“I took Belle Du Jour, Tuesday Joy and Sunday Joy overseas and they never came back here to race again. I don’t want to do that with More Joyous.”

“If we look after her, and she maintains form, then I hope she can race on for another two seasons. She’s only five and hasn’t had a lot of racing.”

More Joyous recorded her seventh Group 1 victory last Saturday in winning the $2m BMW Doncaster Mile (1600m) at Randwick and will back up this weekend at Randwick again in the Group 1 $500,000 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

“I don’t know if we will ever meet Black Caviar in a race but in a Cox Plate, we would see More Joyous against Atlantic Jewel – now that’s something to look forward to,” Singleton said.

“If More Joyous shows she can run 2000m on Saturday, then the Cox Plate is her aim. If she struggles at the trip, then we will bring her back for races up to 1600m.”

Waterhouse said that More Joyous has come through the Doncaster win in fine shape and is looking to get a good guide in the Queen Elizabeth to see if she will be competitive over the 2040m of the Group 1 $3m Sportingbet Cox Plate at Moonee Valley on October 27.

“I weighed her earlier this week and she is the same weight as she was the morning of the Doncaster,” Waterhouse said.

“That tells you how well she has come through the Doncaster – she is coping with racing so well now.”

“She has only had three starts this preparation and it was always in our plans to run her in the Doncaster and then back up in the Queen Elizabeth. I’ve got no doubts about her at 2000m, she will run the trip with her eyes shut.”

The weight for age Queen Elizabeth has attracted a field of eight with More Joyous drawing barrier seven, one from the outside, with regular jockey Nash Rawiller to ride again.

The ruling weight for age champion Manighar has drawn barrier two with Damien Oliver to take over from Luke Nolen who will be in Adelaide to partner the mighty mare Black Caviar in her attempt to take her winning streak to twenty in the Group 1 $400,000 Sportingbet Classic (1200m) at Morphettville.

Big race jockey Craig Williams will be on Americain for the first time replacing French jockey Gerald Mosse after he was heavily criticized for his ride on the imported stallion in the Group 1 $2.25m The BMW (2400m) at Rosehill on April 7 when second to Manighar.

Americain has drawn the outside at eight while the first Autumn appearance of New Zealand’s Jimmy Choux will see him jump from gate four with Jonathan Riddell to ride.

About The Author

Mark Mazzaglia

Mark is a passionate journalist with a life-time involvement in the racing industry. He spent many years as an analyst and form expert at the Courier Mail and also has hands-on experience working with some of Queensland’s top trainers.