RISING superstar mare More Joyous could be set to thrill Newcastle racing fans by attempting to capture Broadmeadow's feature sprint, the Cameron Handicap.
It was revealed yesterday that trainer Gai Waterhouse is considering the $150,000 group 3 Cameron as a goal for More Joyous.
The 1300-metre event is the centre of all attention on the first day of Newcastle Jockey Club's two-day cup carnival on Wednesday, September 15.
More Joyous made a stunning return to racing on Saturday when she lumped 59 kilograms and outclassed her rivals in the 1100m listed Sheraco Stakes at Rosehill.
The stunning four-year-old daughter of More Than Ready was immediately labelled a Cox Plate aspirant and was made a $21 chance for the weight for age championship.
Yesterday Waterhouse racing manager Mark Webbey pencilled in the Cameron as a possible pathway to the Cox Plate for More Joyous.
"The mare ate up last night and looks fantastic this morning," Webbey said yesterday.
"Gai will talk to Singo [owner John Singleton] about where the mare goes now, but there does look two good options for her.
"They are the Newcastle Cameron on the Wednesday or the Theo Marks [Stakes] in town on the Saturday.
"Both are worth the same sort of money and both look a good fit for More Joyous's preparation.
"They would lead well into the Epsom, which is her goal in Sydney."
Waterhouse is a big contributor to the Newcastle Cup carnival and has won the feature races like the Cameron and Gold Cup with regularity.
"Gai loves taking her good horses to Newcastle for the big races over their carnival," Webbey said.
"There is no doubt that More Joyous fits into that category.
"Her win yesterday was simply outstanding and she has come back to racing bigger and better and she will take no end of beating in anything she runs in."
Waterhouse believes the Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick is at More Joyous's mercy.
"She's an outstanding mare, you've just seen the Epsom winner in my opinion," Waterhouse said. "She's got blistering speed, she's got the most sensational turn of foot and she's just on the improve.
"Whatever she's done today there's so much improvement I can't tell you."
More Joyous was always a star performer but her lack of physical presence cost her dearly early in her career.
That has changed now.
Joe Pride raced De Lightning Ridge and was keen on his mare's chances "until I went down to the stables and had a look at More Joyous."
"She just stood out from the other mares, she has gone from a skinny little thing into a big and beautiful mare.
"One look at her and I knew we would be in trouble beating her."
More Joyous powered home over the top of the field to win by a length.
Yesterday morning Singleton left no doubt how good he thinks More Joyous is.
"I looked at the book and saw how much pudding my mare had to whack around on her back and I thought she would need to be a champion to win with 59 kilos under these conditions," Singleton said.
"She had to give weight to everything else in the race yet she gave them a beating.
"All I can say after watching the way she towelled them up is baby, you ain't seen nothing yet.
"She will just keep getting better, and the others, well, they are in trouble now."
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