Joliestar and Overpass Are Already Feeling the Royal Ascot Atmosphere and Feeding the Australian Hope

The two sprinters arrived at the racetrack for their first exercises on the track and head the betting for two of next week's great speed events

BERKSHIRE, England (Special to Turf Diario).– The Australian invasion for Royal Ascot has already begun to take shape, and two of its main figures took another step this Thursday in their preparation for next week's most important commitments. Joliestar and Overpass, betting leaders for two of the meeting's great sprints, completed their first exercises on the Ascot track and left highly positive impressions.

The first to show herself was Joliestar, the extraordinary mare trained by Chris Waller who is aiming for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (G1) on Saturday, June 21st. Winner of 5 G1 events in Australia, including the prestigious Thousand Guineas, the 2025 Newmarket Handicap (G1), and this year's recent TJ Smith Stakes (G1), the daughter of Zoustar will look to extend a rich tradition of successful Australian sprinters at Royal Ascot.

The list includes legendary names like Takeover Target (Celtic Swing), Miss Andretti (Ihtiram), Scenic Blast(Scenic), and the unforgettable Black Caviar (Bel Esprit), all winners of the Newmarket Handicap before capturing races at the royal meeting.

"Today's work was mainly for her to get to know the track, the pre-parade ring, and the paddock," explained Charlie Duckworth, assistant to Waller. "It was more of an exercise to give her confidence than a demanding workout, because she has only been in England for eight days."

Duckworth also highlighted the mare's extraordinary form: "Her campaign in Australia is very solid. She won her last three outings, including the TJ Smith Stakes against an excellent field. She even did it on a track heavier than she likes. She has probably never arrived as well for a race as she does now," he noted.

Another point fueling optimism is her ability to handle longer distances: "She won a Guineas over a mile when she was three years old. Although she later specialized in speed, that gives us confidence to face the demanding 1200 meters of Ascot," he added.

Among the owners is Cambridge Stud, a New Zealand establishment that already knows what it means to celebrate at Royal Ascot thanks to the victory of Hello Youmzain (Youmzain) in the 2020 Jubilee Stakes.

"Chris wanted to bring her last year, but she wasn't ready yet. Now she is a much more mature mare and arrives after winning three G1s this season. Being the favorite generates pressure, but also a lot of excitement," commented Lady Jo Lindsay.

For his part, Sir Brendan Lindsay highlighted: "She is an extraordinary professional. Being the favorite won't make her run any faster, but she earned that spot on her own merits. She is a true champion."

The other big Australian card is Overpass, who next Tuesday will attempt to capture the King Charles III Stakes (G1) for trainer Bjorn Baker, who will thus have his first representative at Royal Ascot.

A specialist in pure speed, the son of Vancouver won the Winterbottom Stakes (G1) in Western Australia on two consecutive occasions and comes off finishing fourth behind Joliestar in the TJ Smith Stakes.

"We wanted him to achieve two things today: a bit of fitness and getting familiar with the whole racing environment," explained Baker. "Royal Ascot is one of the great festivals in the world and the King Charles III is a historic race. Furthermore, Australian sprinters have always run very well here."

The main question mark for Overpass will be the demanding five-furlong straight course: "That might be the big question. However, he has already run three times on the straight at Flemington and won one of them authoritatively. We have always thought that between 1100 and 1200 meters is his ideal distance," the trainer explained.

Jockey Josh Parr, his regular partner, was also very pleased after the exercise.

"I liked it very much. It was important for him to get to know the place and he responded very well to the uphill climb of the straight. He finished the work excellently and that gives me a lot of confidence for Tuesday," he commented.

With both favorites already settled at Ascot and adapting to the setting, Australia dreams once again of extending a tradition of success that has turned its sprinters into recurring protagonists at one of the most prestigious meetings in the world.