Twelve Group 1s And Counting For Via Sistina

[Wandering Eyes]

by Kit Gow/TTR AusNZ

The mighty eight-year-old mare of Yulong struck again on Saturday at Flemington when felling all before her in the G1 Champions Stakes. Master tactician Chris Waller had faith in his star galloper despite a developing bog track and she dutifully delivered a 2 3/4-length victory.

Second last as they entered the home turn in the 2000-metre event, it wasn't hard for James McDonald to pick a path out wide for Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) and send the mare hurtling to the front when the pack parted around them.

Leader Tom Kitten (Harry Angel) stuck on bravely as the mare passed him but was no match for her turn of foot – neither was emerging talent Zambardo (Belardo), the winner of his last four starts, who chased bravely for second. The latter was having his first start at stakes level altogether.

“Seeing the Sprint, the Mile and now this race, it's giving everyone an extra taste of the great horses,” said Waller. “She was tough today. She went back from the draw, James didn't panic and it was awesome to see her in the straight.”

It's hard to believe what the mare has achieved to date, a sentiment echoed by Waller when reflecting on the last two years with the star mare in his stable.

“We were told she was a very good horse,” he said. “Her international form was something special and it's rare for us to get a really high-class horse down here like her, and she was just maturing. We've got her at the right time. They did an amazing job with her over there looking after her. She was a big, raw mare and don't worry about her age. She's just matured.

“They are great owners, Yulong. They're sportsmen, they love their racing. I knew not to ask because I knew they'd have liked her to race here. It was a simple as that.

“They have given the racing public something to cheer for and what a great day it's been with Ceolwulf, Giga Kick and now Via Sistina. Three serious horses on an amazing day of racing. They're tough horses and when you look after them, they look after you.”

The win also marked a remarkable 50th Group 1 win for Waller and James McDonald as a team, to which Waller said, “It is an honour to be working with him. It makes my job and possibly his job that little bit easier. There's no pressure, no pre-race stress, and I didn't even give any instructions.

“He said 'I'll go and ride her like Hughie used to ride Winx', best horse in the race, give her some clean air, and I said, 'that sounds good to me'.

“I don't see it as a milestone. He's great to work with. That's a privilege in itself. The relationship works well. There's less pressure when you trust each other. I'd go to war with him and he'd do the same for me.”

“We're not far off one of the greatest combinations in racing history,” said McDonald. “That's something to aim up at. He's been a great supporter of mine and I'm happy to be a part of his team when you ride superstars like this, it's always a pleasure. It was basically a copy and paste from last year, sit back and let her rip.”

Pedigree Notes

Bred by Laundry Cottage Stud in Ireland, the bay cost a mere snip when acquired by Stephen Hillen Bloodstock for 5,000gns from the Jamie Railton consignment out of the 2019 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. During her European tenure, the daughter of Fastnet Rock secured the G1 Pretty Polly Stakes. Sent back through that same ring in 2023 by Grove Stud, Via Sistina joined the Yulong fold when purchased for 2.7 million gns by Evergreen Equine at the December Mares Sale. At the same sale, her unraced dam Nigh (Galileo) brought 200,000gns on the bid of Lucky Vega, another Yulong entity, in foal to Too Darn Hot. One year later, Yulong also snapped up Via Sistina's Bated Breath half-sister Via Sienna for €400,000 out of Arqana's Vente d'Elevage and signed the ticket as Willingham.

Nigh is a half-sister to Britain's champion three-year-old sprinter Kingsgate Native (Mujadil). Nigh produced a colt by Too Darn Hot in 2024 as her most recent documented foal.

 

Saturday, Flemington, Australia
CHAMPIONS STAKES-G1, A$3,000,000, VRC, 11-08, 3yo/up, Open Weight, 2000mT, 2:07.91, hy.
1–VIA SISTINA (IRE) , 57.0, m, 7, by Fastnet Rock (Aus)
            1st Dam: Nigh (Ire) (Broodmare of the Year-Ire),
                        by Galileo (Ire)
            2nd Dam: Native Force (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
            3rd Dam: La Pellegrina (Ire), by Be My Guest
(5,000gns Ylg '19 TATDEC; 2,700,000gns HRA '23 TATDEC).
O-Yu Long Investments (Mgr: Y Zhang); B-Laundry Cottage
Stud Farm (Ire); T-C J Waller; J-J B Mc Donald; A$1,811,500.
Lifetime Record: G1SW-Ire, MG1SP-Eng, G1SP-Fr, 29-16-4-5,
A$19,481,893.Werk Nick Rating: A+++. *Triple Plus*. Click for
   the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree. Click for the
   free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.
2–Zambardo (NZ), 58.5, g, 4, Belardo (Ire)–Zambezi (NZ), by
Zabeel (NZ). 1ST BLACK TYPE. 1ST GROUP BLACK TYPE. 1^ST
   GROUP 1 BLACK TYPE. O-C E Holt, P W Steele, Mrs S A Steele,
M C Power, Miss V Joli, P J Crotty, P I Sweeney, D M Fallon, R J
Fleetwood, L R Matthews, E Campbell, C S Racing (Mgr: A J
Boyd), H M Bastone, L A Agosta, J M Storer, R K Stephens & N
Hasell; B-Fairdale & Goodwood Studs, Central, (NZ); T-M Price
& M Kent Jnr; J-Jamie Kah; A$540,000.
3–Tom Kitten (Aus), 59.0, g, 5, Harry Angel (Ire)–Transfers
(Aus), by Street Cry (Ire). O-Godolphin; B-Godolphin Australia
(Vic); T-Anthony & Sam Freedman; J-B Melham; A$270,000.
Margins: 2 3/4, 3/4, HD. Odds: 0.80, 13.00, 9.00.
Also Ran: Pier (NZ), Light Infantry Man (Fr), Attrition (Aus), Alenquer (Fr), Golden Path (NZ), Point King (Ire), Kovalica (NZ), Benagil (Aus). Click for the Racing Australia chart. VIDEO.

The post Twelve Group 1s And Counting For Via Sistina appeared first on TDN | Thoroughbred Daily News | Horse Racing News, Results and Video | Thoroughbred Breeding and Auctions.

View the full article