Brilliant Miss Joelene

By Glenn Davis

Trainer Kelly Schweida has nothing but gratitude for the syndicate that owns Queensland’s talented filly Miss Joelene, who produced a brilliant performance to finish third in the Group 1 Queensland Oaks at Eagle Farm last month.

The syndicate, which includes Heidi Orman, wife of leading Queensland jockey Jim Orman, and her sister, Tayla, and mother, Janelle, have been patient right throughout Miss Joelene’s career.

Heidi, who works part-time for Schweida, used to strap Miss Jolene’s dam, Cellargirl.

A daughter of Russian Revolution, Miss Joelene had only three runners behind her turning for home before unleashing a whirlwind finish to go down by less than three lengths.

“The bad barrier cost her,” Schweida said.

“She was the only Queensland filly in the race and she raced super. She got too far back from the alley and she couldn’t get dragged into the race from so far back at the 900m.

“But she ran the fastest last 600m and it was a great run.”

Schweida has always rated Miss Joelene highly from the day she first entered his Eagle Farm stables.

“She was a light little thing when I first saw her, much like her mother, and was really a dead ringer for her,” Schweida said.

Miss Joelene had her first start at Beaudesert in December 2022, strolling home by three lengths in a two-year-old maiden.

She then stepped up in class to the $150,000 Aquis Gold Pearl at the Gold Coast, finishing late for a close fourth behind the Les Ross-trained Mishani Royale.

After a short spell, Miss Joelene returned to work and was again impressive, sitting off the pace before claiming QTIS prizemoney in an 1100m two-year-old race at Toowoomba in April last year.

It was a warm-up for her big test when Schweida stepped her up sharply in grade to the Group 2 Champagne Classic at Doomben in May last year.

While she was forced to get back off a wide draw, Miss Joelene finished eighth but was beaten by less than two lengths in an eye-catching performance.

Schweida then targeted last year’s Group 2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and Group 1 JJ Atkins with Miss Joelene.

The filly produced a Winx-like finish storming home from near last on the home turn to finish fourth to Rex Lipp’s star youngster, Cifrado, before a similar barnstorming finish for fourth in the J J Atkins when beaten by just over two lengths.

“She was great as a two-year-old,” Schweida said.

“All her runs were great, especially the J J Atkins, which was a ripper of a run.”

Schweida had the Sydney Spring Carnival in mind after Miss Joelene’s courageous winter performances and gave her one more run before heading south for the Group 2 Tea Rose and Group 1 Flight Stakes at Rosehill last September.

Schweida and the filly’s owners had hoped to turn back time with Miss Jolene while she was in Sydney as her mother, Cellargirl, was placed in both the Tea Rose and Flight Stakes in 2017.

However, Schweida put a line through her Sydney performances after she missed a place in both Group features.

“Her first Sydney run in the Tea Rose was only average, but I was a bit behind time with her for that race and the trip down may have had an effect,” Schweida said.

“It was a hot race in the Flight Stakes but she ran a good race and her sectionals were very good.”

In a tragic prequel to the Flight Stakes, Cellargirl died after foaling a Snitzel colt.

“She died giving birth to a Snitzel colt, which would have been worth a lot of money, and then her foal died two weeks later after she had a couple of foster mothers,” Schweida said.

Cellargirl was a star in her own right and was a valuable broodmare, winning more than $264,000 in prize money with three wins from 17 starts.

As well as placing in the Group 2 Tea Rose and Group 1 Flight Stakes, Cellargirl won the Listed Bill Carter as a two-year-old in Brisbane in 2017.

On her return from Sydney, Schweida had the Queensland Oaks in the back of his mind as the winter goal for Miss Joelene.

However, he was unsure whether Miss Joelene had the necessary stamina to run a strong 2000m before talking to jockey Ryan Maloney after her Flight Stakes performance.

“I knew she would run 1600m and Ryan said after the Flight Stakes that she’d get 2000m,” Schweida said.

Miss Joelene was an impressive winner in her winter return in a Class Two at Doomben on April 3, giving Schweida a surprise result.

“I couldn’t understand why she got out to $4 at one stage as she was coming off a Group 1 race in Sydney and meeting Class Two horses in Brisbane,” he said.

Schweida gave her four more starts before her Queensland Oaks assignment, and although she failed to win, she was on the heels of the placegetters in each run.

Miss Joelene finished second from barrier one at her next start against her own age at Doomben in mid-April before three flashing runs off wide barriers at Stakes level in the Princess Stakes, Gold Coast Bracelet and The Roses.

“She was hampered by a bad draw in the Princess Stakes, but it was still a good run,” Schweida said.

“Then it was a funny run race in the Gold Coast Bracelet on a bottomless track when she pinged out of the gates and was ridden forward.”

Miss Joelene had her Queensland Oaks dress rehearsal in the Group 2 The Roses at Doomben on May 25, in which she proved to Schweida she was on the right path for the Group 1 feature, finishing third to Chris Waller’s Scarlet Oak.

“I thought her Roses run was quite good,” Schweida said.

“She’s only got a short sharp sprint and her run just plateaued a bit.

“Jimmy (Orman) had to get to the better going and lost some ground doing so, but that’s what happens on those sort of tracks.

“I thought it t was a real solid trial for the Oaks.”

Schweida is undecided about Miss Joelene’s spring campaign when she will turn four.

“She needs to be winning next preparation to warrant a trip away,” he said.

“She’ll soon be four and there’s good money here for winning horses.”

Whatever happens in the future, Schweida and connections have a valuable broodmare replacement for the late Cellargirl.