More Joyous made a triumphant spring return at Rosehill on Saturday as her jockey Nash Rawiller declared the champion mare at the peak of her powers.

More Joyous (6m More Than Ready – Sunday Joy by Sunday Silence) has 8 Group 1 races to her credit and she was expected to make light work of the Listed Sheraco Stakes (1200m) as a $1.16 favourite but had to fight hard to shrug off outsiders Miss Marx.

But once Rawiller asked More Joyous to go, the crowd favourite quickly put the race beyond doubt as she strode clear to defeat Miss Marx by more than a length.  Dual Group 1 winner Streama finishing a short neck away third.

“It’s hard to say but I think she’s the best she’s ever been, potentially anyway,” Rawiller said.  “She’s really at the top of her game.”

Owner John Singleton watched from the mounting yard as his Cox Plate-bound mare notched the 20th win of her career and her fifth in a row after going unbeaten through the Sydney autumn carnival.  “Everyone said she looked better than she ever has for her first-up run,” Singleton said.  “She is just outstanding.”

More Joyous will remain in Sydney for the Golden Pendant (1400m) in two weeks before heading to Melbourne to continue on the Cox Plate path.

The champion mare has won 20 of her 27 starts for over $4.33 million and is now well clear of Phelan Ready ($3.52 million) as More Than Ready’s top prizemoney earner.

More Joyous is inbred 3×3 to Halo (Hail to Reason) who is the paternal grandsire of More Than Ready and the maternal grandsire of her dam through his illustrious son Sunday Silence.

Vinery champion More Than Ready will stand for a $121,000 (inc gst) service fee in 2012.