Chris Waller knows that luck is key in racing, and he’s hoping for just that when Joliestar makes her next appearance in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) at Flemington next Saturday.

This will be Joliestar’s first start in Victoria since her win in the Thousand Guineas in late 2023.

It will also be her first run down the Flemington straight, and Waller is keen to give her the best chance of another feature win after a series of unlucky runs.

“She just needs a bit of confidence and a bit of luck, so we thought bringing her down to Flemington to run in the Newmarket next Saturday would be a good idea,” Waller said.

“She is certainly good enough in our opinion. It’s a different style of racing, but one she should adapt to.”

Joliestar, by Zoustar, comes from a sire known for straight-track success. Zoustar won the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington, and his progeny, including Sunlight and Zoutori, have also excelled down the straight.

Joliestar’s campaign started with a third-place finish in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes, but her last two runs—seventh places in both the Golden Eagle and The Everest—were unlucky.

After a familiarisation gallop under Damian Lane at Flemington last Friday, Waller hopes the Newmarket will give Joliestar valuable experience ahead of the rest of her campaign, which remains flexible.

“We love to give our horses an experience of running down the straight because there are so many great races here at Flemington, or even overseas if we want to travel,” Waller said.

Joliestar will be joined in the Newmarket by three-year-old stablemate Gatsby’s, who was scratched from the $1m Inglis Sprint to focus on the Group 1.