Yulong’s mighty mare Via Sistina (IRE) (Fastnet Rock) was awarded Victorian Racehorse of the Year on Saturday, and while some may argue her legitimate claim due to being trained in Sydney, she stands head and shoulders above the rest in terms of victories.
Three of the now eight-year-old’s seven Group 1 wins in the 2024/25 season came in Victoria, first in the Gr.1 Turnbull Stakes under Damien Lane, then her record-breaking Gr.1 Cox Plate performance where she sailed past Japanese raider Prognosis (JPN) (Deep Impact {JPN}) to an eight-length victory, followed by the Gr.1 Champions Stakes to seal her spring.
Via Sistina received 79 votes from the panel – consisting of racing officials and members of the media – putting her leagues in front of joint runners-up Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) and Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars), both on 40 points. It was trainer Chris Waller’s sixth win of the award, having previously trained Nature Strip (Nicconi) to win.
“She’s a very special filly,” said Jun Zhang, Yulong’s general manager upon accepting the award.
Reflecting on the mare’s Cox Plate win, less than a week after an unplanned gallop round the track put a cloud over punters’ pre-race feelings, he said, “I just felt, this is an incredible moment, she had done incredibly well on the way in and then she was flying home. This is the most exciting part. We celebrated before she hit the line.”
On having a champion trainer like Waller engaged for their horses, Zhang said, “it’s very important. Everyone’s care of her is part of this journey, and we can’t get to this point without their support.”
Zhang thanked the jockeys who have been part of Via Sistina’s journey – James McDonald, Kerrin McEvoy, and Damien Lane – and the Yulong and Waller teams for their hard work with the mare.
“And also thanks to Mr Zhang, who brought this special filly back to Australia to give us a big surprise,” he added.
Via Sistina equalled the great Winx’s (Bel Esprit) record for Group 1 wins in a season, taking her personal total to nine, eight of which have been won in Australia. Her prizemoney climbed to over $12.8 million last season, which concluded with back-to-back wins in the Gr.1 Ranvet Stakes and going one better than her 2024 finish in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes to finish on a win.
She is expected to resume in the Gr.1 Winx Stakes at the end of the month, where she will be attempting to repeat her victory from last spring.
Written for TTRAusNZ
