Saturday, 29 September 2012: More Joyous eased to a dominant Golden Pendant win at Rosehill on Saturday afternoon to become just the seventh mare in history to notch 20 stakes wins.
 | More Joyous
Photo by Racing and Sports | |
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The win put drew
More Joyous 
level with the enduring Wenona Girl on the exclusive list and moved her to within one of unbeaten superstar
Black Caviar who has notched 21 stakes wins from her 22 starts.
Saturday’s win, her sixth in a row and 11th at Rosehill, was nothing more than a track gallop and preceded her Melbourne spring which will include a run in the Toorak Handicap (1600m) before she lines up in the Cox Plate (2040m).
Should she win those two races, she’ll leapfrog Wenona Girl who won 22 times at stakes level, and start bearing down on the 25 wins registered by Wakeful.
“She’s part of history now,” owner John Singleton said after claiming the Golden Pendant.
“She won as she should’ve done. You expect it but you also know when you’ve been around for a long time there’s niggling doubt that something will go wrong.
“Seven mares in 200 years have won 20 group races and she’s one of them. It won’t happen to me again.”
Desert Gold registered 30 stakes wins almost a century ago, while champion mare
Sunline holds the modern-day record of 28.
The Gai Waterhouse-trained More Joyous sat just off the speed yesterday with jockey Nash Rawiller happy to keep her well away from the rail.
Rawiller peeled her three wide rounding the bend and the race was over when she stormed to the front a furlong from home.
Skyerush ran second while
Forarainyday was a game third.
“She was at her brilliant best and really felt terrific throughout the race,” Rawiller said.
“The pace was only average and I was happy to find her feet.
“I didn’t really want to be without cover running into the wind which would be enough to make her get running.
“She relaxed beautifully and dinked in behind them there and put them to bed pretty quick.
“I thought to myself a hundred out I better make her do a bit of work because I don’t want the other horse [
Pierro ] fitter than us.”
Rawiller hinted after the race that he’d stick with More Joyous in the Cox Plate as opposed to riding Pierro.
