She may not be able to equal Winx’s (Street Cry {IRE}) years-long unbeaten streak, but Via Sistina (IRE) (Fastnet Rock) can now stand beside Australasia’s greatest racemare as equal winners of the most Group 1 in one racing season, after victory in the Gr.1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday took her season total to seven.
Rivals had come from across the globe to beat her, but none could match Via Sistina’s turn of foot in the end. The 7-year-old mare settled mid field after jumping well, with her compatriot in bottle green and white Deny Knowledge (IRE) (Pride Of Dubai) surging to the lead early.
The pack shuffled coming into the home turn, with the ever consistent Lindermann (Lonhro) finding the front, and for a moment it looked like Via Sistina wouldn’t extricate herself from beside Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {IRE}), but she put any doubters to bed in the last 200 metres, hitting the front and dashing home to beat William Haggas’ challenger Dubai Honour (IRE) (Pride Of Dubai) by 1.75l.
Trainer Chris Waller was emotional when speaking post-race, “she just keeps turning up every week, I’d like to have a few more like her. And we have, we’ve got a great team, but she just shows the difference between a good horse and a champion.
“It was an economical run; we had the right man aboard. James (McDonald) has continued to mature and not panic; that’s the key to winning these big races. The big jockeys win them all the time, to have one of them on your horse’s back is a big plus for your team
Before the race, Waller had told the media that he believes she could be back just as good for the spring, if Yulong decide to take that avenue.
“Chris just trains her up beautifully every time,” McDonald said. “He did it for a Cox Plate, he’s done it for the Queen Elizabeth.
“You could poke holes in her performances coming into today because she hasn’t been winning by big margins, but that’s the type of horse she is now, she only does what she has to.”
Taking her prizemoney over $12.8 million, Via Sistina has won 13 starts from 24, including eight starts across 11 in Australia. She was second in this race last year to Pride Of Jenni (Pride Of Dubai), which, despite the larger margin, was run over 1.5s slower, with the last 600 metres coming 2.5s slower than Via Sistina’s time on Saturday.
Via Sistina was a 2.7 million gns ($5.9 million) purchase for Yulong, trading as Evergreen Equine, at the 2023 Tattersalls December Mare Sale. Yulong also purchased her dam Nigh (IRE) (Galileo {Ire}) at the same sale for 200,000 gns ($437,000) and her 3-year-old half-sister Via Sienna (IRE) (Bated Breath {GB}) at the 2024 Arqana Deauville Vente d’Élevage for €400,000 ($723,000).
The result capped off a huge hour for the enterprise, who won the Gr.1 Australian Oaks two races before with Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express).
Written for TTRAusNZ
