Luberon earned a gold medal for bravery following her impressive return to competition at Ellerslie.Our game daughter of Embellish was making her first appearance since January, but trainer Lance Noble presented her in terrific order to resume in Rating 75 company over 1200 metres.However, Luberon had no favours in the running and was caught three wide without cover from an outside barrier.She dug deep under her 58.5kg to answer every call from rider Warren Kennedy in the straight to get in the deciding stride.“That was a very good first-up performance, she’s always shown a lot of ability, and we thought she had come back in good order this time in,” Noble said.“For her to show the ticker that she did, find the line so strongly and get the win, it was a very pleasing way to start her season.”Noble said there were not specific targets in mind for the mare, although the G3 Counties Bowl in November might be an attractive option for ore black type.Luberon was a winner and ran third in the Listed Challenge Stakes as a two-year-old and added two further victories last season and placed in the G2 Auckland Guineas after finishing fourth in the G1 1000 Guineas.We bred the mare who is a daughter of the unraced Fastnet Rock mare Elegant Achiever and her pedigree page features the European Group winners Wunder’s Dream, Grecian Dancer, Muffri’ha, Asymetric and Mill Stream.Also the dam of the multiple winner Ellmaknifico, Elegant Achiever has a juvenile sister to Luberon named So We Go and is due to foal to Almanzor.

Debutante Flash Effect overcame a horror draw on the synthetic track at Cambridge to make a flying start to her career.Our daughter of Exceedance had trialled well ahead of her first appearance and trainer Lance Noble was confident of a bold showing, despite the filly jumping from the outside barrier over 1300 metres.“The draw wasn’t ideal but she has always showed a bit of speed out of the gates, we thought she could cross and it helps to be handy on the all-weather,” he said.“She showed a good turn of foot and tenacity to keep going, so it was good result.”Flash Effect jumped cleanly for rider Warren Kennedy to sit on the leader’s quarters before hitting the front before the turn and she had plenty in reserve to win at the first time of asking.“She wasn’t a natural two-year-old and was quite a leggy filly so we had to wait for her and she had been working well leading up to this,” Noble said.“We put in a nomination for the 1000 Guineas so who knows, she has certainly made the right start and we’re always keeping an eye on the black-type races.”We purchased Flash Effect out of Glenlogan Park’s draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for A$100,000.She is a daughter of the Makfi mare Meccabah, a half-sister to the dual Australian Group 1 winer Manighar who was also a Group 2 winner and elite level placegetter in his native France.

We couldn’t have hoped for a more impressive return from Joliestar following her effortless victory at Randwick. The beautifully related daughter of Zoustar proved a class above her rivals in the G3 Show County Quality with rider James McDonald enjoying an easy time in the saddle aboard the Chris Waller-trained four-year-old.Joliestar was outstanding during her spring campaign, culminating in her success in the G1 Thousand Guineas and we’re daring to dream she can add to her record at the highest level with a tilt at the A$20 million The Everest also on the radar.“It does help with looking toward slot interest but most importantly, we’ll see how she comes through it and wherever she goes, she's going to be a star,” Waller said.“She’s very good and she’s well named. The owners Brendan and Jo have looked after her so well and have been so patient and they're reaping the rewards now.”Joliestar hadn’t raced since she claimed the G2 Arrowfield 3YO Sprint in the autumn and two trials had her primed for a stunning first-up performance.She idled along in midfield away from the fence and McDonald was in the fun zone a long way from home as they careered away to score untouched by nearly three lengths.“I expected her to win, but not with that much ease, she executed really well,” he said.“She’d been working like a really, really good horse at home and it's been hard work containing her, but they’ve done a really good job. It's been really nice to let the shackles off, so to speak and let her rip.“It’ll be interesting to see where the boss man places her, she’s got some big targets, she could go for anything.”Joliestar was bred by Chris Barham and offered through the Segenhoe draft at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where we went to A$950,000 to secure the blueblood.She is a daughter of the Fastnet Rock mare Jolie Bay, who won the G2 Roman Consul Stakes and finished runner-up in the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, and is a sister to the Australian and international Group 1 winner and stallion Merchant Navy.All five of Jolie Bay’s progeny to race have been successful and includes the stakes performers Emperor and God Of Thunder.