A champion racemare, More Joyous won 7 Group One features and tore fields apart

If it wasn't for Black Caviar, More Joyous would have been acclaimed as the best mare, if not the best horse, in the country at the time. Her incredible achievements in contemporary Australian thoroughbred racing are among the most remarkable in the sport's annals. An examination of the horse's group one triumphs provides ample evidence of this assertion. More Joyous is by the leading Southern Halo sire More Than Ready, and from the Australian Oaks winning Sunday Silence mare Sunday Joy. She was owned by the charismatic multi millionaire, John Singleton and trained by the legendary Sydney trainer, Gai Waterhouse.

More Joyous made her debut in January 2009 by winning a two-year old fillies handicap by five and a half lengths. A month later she was sent out a $1.35 favourite in the Gr.2 Silver Slipper Stakes at Rosehill. When the barriers opened the saddle on More Joyous slipped and she began buckjumping for about 100m and took no part in the race. Three weeks later she took out the Gr.2 Reisling Stakes by 2.3 lengths from Melito, before finishing second last in the Golden Slipper Stakes, which was won by Phelan Ready. Following the race, Jockey Darren Beadman was suspended for five meetings for careless riding on More Joyous. More Joyous began her spring campaign as a three-year-old by finishing third to Madam Pedrille in the 1100 metre Listed Sheraco Stakes before winning the Gr.2 Tea Rose Stakes and the Gr.1 Flight Stakes. She was then spelled for four months and returned in the summer with a win in the Light Fingers Stakes, followed by a win in the Surround Stakes. It appeared the young mare had found her stride and developed into a powerhouse of a horse. From this point on she would look indestructible.

Resuming as a spring four-year-old, More Joyous won the first four starts of her campaign, including Group One wins in the George Main Stakes and Toorak Handicap. She then stepped up in distance in the Gr.1 Cox Plate, where she started second favorite behind dominant favorite So You Think. She took on So You Think in the lead in the Cox Plate, before fading to fifth place behind him. Resuming again in the autumn, she again won her first four starts of her campaign, including the Futurity Stakes and Queen of the Turf Stakes at Group One level, before failing in the Doncaster Handicap on a heavy track. Returning in the spring as a now five-year-old, More Joyous would run seven times for five wins, three at Group one level. She would kick off in September 2011 with a 3rd in the Gr.1 Manikato sprint at Moonee Valley, but appeared better suited two weeks later over the 1400m at Caulfield in the Gr.2 Tristarc Stakes, winning well carrying 58.5kg.

After a 7th placing in the Myers Classic at Flemington, More Joyous would return in the Autumn and go on a four run winning streak of epic proportions. The mare would win twice at Rosehill, firstly in the Gr.2 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) in March, then the Queen of the Turf Stakes (1500m) in April. Three weeks later she proved victorious in the Gr.1 Doncaster at Randwick and finished off her campaign by winning the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), also held at Randwick. Within a span of two racing seasons there have been rare instances of horses demonstrating this kind of exceptional dominance in Group black type features. More Joyous also set weight carrying records for a mare in the Toorak and Doncaster Handicap victories.

Resuming in mid September at her happy hunting ground, the brilliant mare would continue on her winning way in the Listed Sheraco Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill, lumping 59kgs. Two weeks later she would take out the Gr.3 Golden Pendant (1400m) defeating Skyerush, before a below par run for 4th in the Toorak Handicap at Caulfield. An 11th in the Cox Plate won by Ocean Park would be her final run in 2012. The mare had a history of underperforming at Moonee Valley Racecourse, never achieving a victory on the track. In 2013, More Joyous would only run three times prior to her retirement. In March, the horse finished second in the Canterbury Stakes behind Pierro at Rosehill. Two weeks later, she disappointingly came in fifth in the Queen of the Turf Stakes at the same location. However, her final poor performances in the All-Aged Stakes at Royal Randwick proved to be the mare's most contentious and last-ever race. In a separate feature article, we provide a detailed analysis of the dramatic events that transpired, including the horse's disappointing seventh-place finish and the subsequent bust up between owner Singleton and More Joyous' trainer Gai Waterhouse. Nevertheless the mare was retired and completed her career as a champion of the Turf. It was an igniminous end to such a decorated career, but it couldn't take away from her achievements and just what a brilliant race mare More Joyous actually was. While Black Caviar received significant recognition and garnered all the attention as an exceptional racehorse during that period, it is important to acknowledge the achievements of More Joyous as a highly accomplished mare in her own right.

RACE RECORD - 30: 21–0–2

EARNINGS - $4,490,450

Flight Stakes (2009)

George Main Stakes (2010)

Toorak Handicap (2010)

Futurity Stakes (2011)

Queen of the Turf Stakes (2011,2012)

Doncaster Handicap (2012)

Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2012)