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Has Joliestar stamped herself as a stumbling block for the world’s best sprinter in the TAB Everest after her sizzling return in the Shorts?

It’s long been known the mare has quite a burst on her when she’s on song and a month out from the $20 million Group 1 she served a reminder of what she can do.

Punter’s Intelligence sectional data revealed she ran the meeting’s fastest last 600m (granted it was the second shortest race of the day) in 32.61 and a last 200m of 11.20.

Those splits were a length or more faster on both counts than any of her rivals.

It was a particularly fast run race as Mazu, somewhat surprisingly, put the foot down and has run 20.84 between the 1000m and 600m and still held on to run fourth.

What that move did was take the likes of Private Harry out of his comfort zone, not aided by stumbling out of the gates and being bumped to his left before working up into second place.

There was enough in that early section to offer some excuses for Private Harry, who was second favourite for the TAB Everest prior to the race, weakening and with the run under his belt the onus is on him to bounce back.

Briasa found Private Harry’s back in the run and from an Everest perspective gained a tick, he’s run 32.93 for his last 600m. He must have improvement to come as Joliestar has run two lengths faster than him for both the last 200m and 600m and she was also first-up.

Generosity managed the second fastest last 600m of 32.83 as she ran into third and would be well placed in the Sydney Stakes on Everest Day.

What can you say about Chris Waller’s super mare Fangirl? Isn’t she a marvel!

The seven-year-old had plenty of work to do to win the 7 Stakes (1600m) for the second year running thanks to an almost perfectly timed ride by Nash Rawiller on Lindermann.

His ride and effort is the perfect example of a jockey knowing how to bring the best out of his horse and the sectionals, while not necessarily slow, showed he was in control of the rolling tempo.

The first 800m was run in 48.41 and that was only a couple of lengths faster than the Benchmark 88 at the end of the program but the overall time was some 10 lengths quicker.

Fangirl had to produce every inch of her trademark sprint to run her stablemate down and she did it with a 33.50 final 600m, over two lengths quicker than the next best and almost five lengths faster than Lindermann.

Given good conditions in the King Charles III on Everest Day, she’ll be very hard to deny.

It appears Ceolwulf could be looking for 2000m now, or the type of speed he can sit back and unleash behind (a bit like his two Group 1s a year ago). Sitting handy, he’s run 34.06 for his last 600m which is a lot slower than what he’s capable of which suggests at the mile he may not be adaptable.

There was no loafing in the Kingston Town Stakes (2000m) so there’s a few ways to look at who ran well under the circumstances.

The winner Birdman and runner-up Adelaide River sat off the speed and produced an identical final 600m of 34.94 and it was just who got the nose on the line in time that decided it.

Ahead of them in the run were Arapaho (36.01) and Vauban (36.27) who were tasked with chasing the runaway leader Full Count Felicia and they had to weaken late, though you’d say Arapaho has gone very well to just miss third while Vauban wasn’t able to sprint off the stronger speed second-up.

Etna Rosso was said to be a run behind heading toward the Metropolitan so he put himself in the game running a race best 34.33 and last 200m of 11.79 to run into third place.

All honours went to Apocalyptic in the Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) and despite sitting wide she’s reeled off the race’s fastest last 600m of 34.25 and put a margin in them.

There was merit in the runner-up Artistic Venture (34.31) who chased through the pack and Queen Of Clubs (34.32) showed she wants that rise to the mile in the Flight Stakes.

A couple of other runs to note:

Exit Fee smashed the line in the TAB Highway with a 32.88 last 600m after turning near the tail, if he finds a race to suit he can convert.

Something had to run on in the Bill Ritchie, which was a solidly run 1400m, and it was Matusalem first-up who hit the line in 33.78 in fourth. He wants further so keep an eye on him.

And it’s a case of what might have been in that race with Kintyre who blew the start but ran a race best 33.69 as he played catch up.

Fastest last 600m: Joliestar 32.61.

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