Elite level racing at the Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival heads to Eagle Farm Racecourse on Saturday with a double-shot of Group 1 action including the Kingsford Smith Cup 2025 where Chris Waller‘s Newmarket Handicap winning mare Joliestar is favourite.

Joliestar heads betting on this year’s Group 1 $1 million Kingsford Smith Cup (1300m), which is the traditional lead-up into Queensland’s richest race – the Group 1 $3 million Stradbroke Handicap (1400m) back at the track on June 14.

The four-year-old daughter of Zoustar is out to be the first mare since Black Caviar in 2011 to beat home her male counterparts in the event, and she comes off a lead-up second to Jimmysstar in Sydney’s Group 1 All Aged Stakes (1400m).

Her best run this prep saw her salute down the Flemington straight in the Group 1 Newmarket Handicap (1200m) back on March 5, but with winning form up to a mile the Kingsford Smith Cup distance is a non-issue for the $3.9 million earner.

Joliestar is installed at a current quote of $3 through Ladbrokes.com.au despite drawing wider out with gate 13 for jockey James McDonald to overcome.

Both Waller and McDonald chase their first success in the event.

The danger sitting at Kingsford Smith Cup odds of $4.80 to return to winning form second-up is former The Everest champion Giga Kick for Clayton Douglas.

Drawn in gate 10 with Mark Zahra continuing associations, the now five-year-old son of Scissor Kick hasn’t won a race in over two years with his last turf triumph being in the 2023 Group 1 Doomben 10,000.

He resumed on May 10 at Morphettville running a close third as the beaten favourite in the Group 1 The Goodwood (1200m) in South Australia with improvement expected in Brisbane on Saturday.

Rounding out the single-figure fancies in the markets at $7 is Benedetta with Jason Warren‘s smart mare drawn well in barrier six with Jamie Melham booked for the ride.

The five-year-old daughter of Hellbent has a strong 1300m record (3:2-0-0) and is a graduate out of the Doomben 10,000 from May 17 when only 1.5 lengths fourth to Sunshine In Paris on a Heavy (8).

Winner of last year’s The Goodwood, Benedetta has a better strike rate on firmer ground and should get conditions to suit on the weekend.

Other Kingsford Smith Cup contenders being kept at a conservative price by the bookies include last November’s Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes winning daughter of Brave Smash Kimochi ($10) out to atone for her last place finish (14th) with excuses in the All Aged, Joe Pride‘s returning seven-year-old Private Eye ($10) who races for the first time since last December, and Blue Point colt Bosustow ($11).

Bosustow, trained by Annabel & Rob Archibald, was a surprise first-up winner in the mud taking out the Group 3 Gold Coast Guineas (1200m) by six lengths fresh who has Group 1 form from across the Tasman that he’s out to further frank second-up and fitter for his resuming victory.

The last three-year-old Kingsford Smith Cup winner was Your Song back in 2013.

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