Via Sistina lands titanic Cox Plate as Waller and McDonald rewrite record books
Trevor Marshallsea
ANZ News
Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock) became the oldest mare to land the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) when she joined an elite list of dual winners in a fittingly classic edition of the race in its last staging at Moonee Valley before its redevelopment.
In a Cox Plate for the record books, the Yulong mare and Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock) brought their retired sire the quinella as they fought a titanic struggle over the last 100 metres before Via Sistina - who’d looked beaten several times - lifted to score by 0.1 lengths.
It made Chris Waller the first trainer to quinella the great race since 1961, when Brian Courtney’s pair Dhaulagiri (High Peak) and New Statesmen (Smokey Eyes) filled the first two placings.
James McDonald became the first rider to win four Cox Plates in succession aboard three different horses - Anamoe (Street Boss), Romantic Warrior (Acclamation) and Via Sistina twice. McDonald’s quartet sits him among a group of riders one behind the race’s most successful jockey, Darby Munro.
In the last race before the famed Moonee Valley circuit is bulldozed and reconfigured, Via Sistina became the 15th multiple winner of the Cox Plate, joining horses including four-time queen Winx (Street Cry), triple hero Kingston Town (Bletchingly), plus other dual victors including Phar Lap (Night Raid), So You Think (High Chaparral) - who died last week - Northerly (Serheed), Tobin Bronze (Arctic Explorer) and Sunline (Desert Sun), the great New Zealand mare to whom, McDonald said, Via Sistina deserves comparison.
What's On
Expat Kiwis Waller and McDonald are now the modern kings of the race, with Waller now having won it six times with just the two great mares, Winx and Via Sistina, who’s now won 13 stakes races, including 11 at Group 1 level.
The reigning Horse of the Year started a steady $2.25 favourite in the eight-runner field, but had come in under a cloud, having managed moderate - by her standards - thirds at her two previous starts in the Makybe Diva Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) and Turnbull Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m).
But she looked back to her majestic best in the yard, benefitting from that first 2000-metre hit-out of the preparation, and indeed on the track.
McDonald settled the mare just worse than midfield behind a strong pace set by Light Infantry Man (Fast Company), with another revitalised Yulong mare - Treasurethe Moment (Alabama Express) behind him.
Soon into the school side, McDonald began his run as the pace heated up. Via Sistina neared the lead as the widest of four runners together, as Treasurethe Moment surged towards the front on her inside.
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Treasurethe Moment kicked to a near two-length lead nearing the turn as Via Sistina came after her, but under hard riding. Eventually Treasurethe Moment began to tire in the straight as Via Sistina pressed for the lead, only to see Buckaroo come with his run down the outside to threaten a boilover.
But while he looked like going past the great mare, Via Sistina drew on all her reserves of courage to score by a nose.
Buckaroo - the seven-year-old who like Via Sistina was bred from one of Fastnet Rock’s (Danehill) many shuttles to Ireland - was brave in defeat, at $16.
Treasurethe Moment was a 1.6 length third at $5.50 - giving Yulong two of the three placegetters, putting a bright end to a week in which it attracted headlines over the continuing absence of the group’s founder, Zhang Yuesheng, from Australia.
Aeliana (Castelvecchio), Waller’s third runner in the race, didn’t figure at $8, while $3.80 second favourite Antino (Redwood) settled last and stayed there, in a baffling non-performance.
Renowned for his emotions after momentous wins such as these, Waller fought back tears as he reflected on “a classic Cox Plate”.
“James had to get going early and everyone could see him. He was five wide turning for home. She was great and Treasurethe Moment was awesome and gave it something to chase,” said Waller, after his 185th Group 1 win.
“And Buckaroo that was … I’m glad Via won and Buckaroo, he’s run out of his skin.”
Waller said Via Sistina had been tracking well at the stable despite having her colours lowered in her past two starts, while admitting he had to remind himself to stay calm during her lead-up.
“I know she hasn’t won her last two runs but all the data suggests she’s flying and once they set those benchmarks, providing the horse is healthy and well, you know they’re going to get somewhere close to it,” he said.
“There’s been a few of those ‘don’t panic, don’t change anything, don’t think about anything’ [moments]. Let the horses do the talking.”
McDonald, after Group 1 win number 121, said he’d been pleased in the run before having to ask Via Sistina for her all in the straight.
“It was funny because she began well. I thought, ‘this is beautiful’. I thought I was in a great spot,” he said.
“Zac Lloyd [on Neopitism] was jostling for a position. Came back, she raced a little bit keen for a bit but her incredible will to win shone through there and she’s a champion racehorse.
“I’m so proud of her. She deserved to be in the same breath as Sunline and those sort of horses with two Cox Plates.
“There’s been a few of those ‘don’t panic, don’t change anything, don’t think about anything’ [moments]. Let the horses do the talking
“You know what? I’m just rapt that it was a proper run Cox Plate. That’s what Cox Plates are all about. Best horse shone through and she deserves all she gets.”
McDonald said there was an element of “relief” to the win, on such a special occasion.
“I love this place, I’m blessed to ride champion racehorses, blessed to be a part of a champion stable, and she was trained to the minute,” he said. “Waller’s a genius.”
After rain had fallen during the afternoon, Via Sistina’s time of 2:05.03 was well outside her record 2:01.07 set last year.
Buckaroo’s rider Mark Zahra said: “He was courageous. Followed the winner everywhere but I just never got in front at any stage. She just finds a head the minute you come up to her. She’s a good mare but he ran well.”
“I love this place, I’m blessed to ride champion racehorses, blessed to be a part of a champion stable, and she was trained to the minute
Treasurethe Moment’s jockey Damian Lane said he was proud of the mare, who’s come back from a mild bout of colic early this campaign before underwhelming seconds at her previous two starts.
“She was super. Very proud of the horse, proud of Matty [Laurie, trainer] and his team for getting her back to where she is today,” he said.
“Just unfortunately Nepotism was put into the race early and forced my hand. I had to ask for her a bit earlier than what was ideal and she obviously put a good margin on them on the corner but that early move had a toll late, so she did a great job.”
Bred in Ireland but by British interests with the quintessentially English-sounding name of Laundry Cottage Stud, Via Sistina becomes the first officially eight-year-old mare to win the Cox Plate, though she’s still seven-and-a-half biologically.
She’s the fifth and very much the best of seven named foals out of the unraced Nigh (Galileo). Suggesting major influence from Fastnet Rock in their mating during his shuttling career to Ireland, only one other of Nigh’s offspring has won, and that is Fougere (Bated Breath), who claimed only a Nottingham handicap in 19 starts.
Via Sistina is another example of Fastnet’s potency when crossed with daughters of Coolmore’s perennial breed-shaping sire Galileo (Sadler’s Wells), with the mare among the nicks 29 stakes winners and she is also one of 11 Group 1 scorers bred on the cross.
The yearling Via Sistina was sold by agent Jamie Railton to Stephen Hillen Bloodstock for £5,000 from Book 3 of Tattersalls December Yearling Sale in 2019. From those inauspicious beginnings, she was bought by Evergreen Equine at Tattersalls’ December Mares Sale in 2023 for 2,700,000gns, from the draft of Ireland’s Grove Stud, before coming to Australia to race in the Yulong green and white.
Nigh now has a three-year-old filly yet to race called Via Sienna (Bated Breath), and last year had a colt by Too Darn Hot (Dubawi).
Breathtaking Attica bags Spring Champion
Attica (Lonhro) capped a golden day for Godolphin colts and his departed stallion while stamping himself a stud-bound star of the future with a breathtaking victory in Saturday’s Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Randwick.
Sent out a $4 second-favourite at the fourth start of his first preparation, the Joe Pride-trained colt faced an almighty challenge at the top of the straight.
Settling third-last of the 13 after drawing wide for Adam Hyeronimus, the son of star Godolphin mare Savatiano (Street Cry) was still ten lengths off the lead as he commenced a run at the 600 metres.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott’s $3.20 favourite Shangri La Boy (Pierro) had sat second for Nash Rawiller as longshot Tambeloa (Tagaloa) set just a middling pace, and when Rawiller eased to the front at the 300 metres, his mount looked full of running.
Attica emerged from the pack as the most threatening chaser but still had three lengths to make up at the 200 metres, but under desperate riding from Hyeronimus, he resolutely ran down his quarry, defeating the gallant Shangri La Boy by 0.3 lengths.
Chris Waller’s filly The Pearls (Proisir) nabbed a Group 1 placing for her CV in running a 2.8 length third at $21, while Tameloa clung on for fourth at $201.
Handed to Pride when Godolphin switched to a public training model for this season onwards, Attica debuted with a 1400-metre Warwick Farm maiden win on September 3 before a Kembla Grange class 1 second and a breakthrough black type victory in the Dulcify Stakes (Listed, 1600m) on October 4.
Pride gave him a top-up trial last Friday, and was awestruck by what he saw in the Spring Champion, as Godolphin racked their second Group 1 success under their new model, following the Waller-trained Beiwacht’s (Bivouac) Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) win.
“I was worried. I thought the race was over,” Pride said of his feelings at the top of the straight.
“You see Nash kick them away like that, it’s going to be a big effort to run them down. And I don’t think Shangri La Boy stopped - I think my horse has found what he needed to.
“We can’t get carried away, it’s early on in his life, but I’ve never had one win a Group 1 in their first preparation, so it’s pretty special.”
Pride said Attica hadn’t yet been “made” as a stallion, saying “we’re partway there” and expressing the hope he could adapt to a short trip in chasing the Randwick Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) in the autumn, after a spell following the Spring Champion win.
“We can’t get carried away, it’s early on in his life, but I’ve never had one win a Group 1 in their first preparation, so it’s pretty special
“He’s just a really exciting horse and I just can’t wait for the autumn,” he said.
“It’s hard to judge these horses. You’re racing the best of an age group quite early on in their life. But what I will say about this horse is, it’s not like he’s a precocious type you’d expect to be jumping out of the ground at this age.
“He’s got a lot of improvement to make, a lot of furnishing to do in that big frame of his.
“But the obvious thing is the engine that he’s displaying at the moment. There’s a proper V8 under the bonnet, and I just can’t wait to see what he does when he gets older.”
Celebrating his 21st Group 1 winner - and his first with a colt - Pride offered thanks to Godolphin for giving him “a quality horse” in Attica.
“This is a culmination of a lot of hard work [from the stable] but I’ve been handed a beautiful horse by Godolphin. Horses like this, they weren’t on my doorstep a couple of years ago, so it’s nice to be working with quality,” he said.
“Godolphin have been good enough to hand over some really nice horses, and horses that are bred to do exactly what this bloke’s done today, not necessarily pedigree-wise at the distance, but quality horses with deep pedigrees.
“His mother was a great racemare in Savatiano and his father was a champion in Lonhro.”
While eyeing the Randwick Guineas, the Warwick Farm-based trainer said Attica would have “no problems” handling a longer trip later.
“It was a win that required real stamina,” he said. “He was brilliant, but he won with a real test of stamina.”
Attica’s victory came on a glorious day for Godolphin three-year-old colts.
Thirty-five minutes earlier at Randwick, the Michael Freedman-trained Ohope (I Am Invincible) won the Callander-Presnell (Gr 2, 1600m), while 20 minutes after the Spring Champion, Ciaron Maher’s rising star Observer (Ghaiyyath) broke through for his first stakes win in Moonee Valley’s Vase (Gr 2, 2040m).
Two races before Attica’s success, another son of Lonhro (Octagonal) - Lindermann - continued his strong form with his third Group win in his past four starts, taking the Craven Plate (Gr 3, 1800m).
Hyeronimus paid tribute to Attica for his gritty performance and versatility, suggesting he could have put him in different positions and still won.
“I had about 85 different plans. I don’t think any of them were wrong,” said Hyeronimus, who knew what he was chasing, having ridden Shangri La Boy to victory at his previous two starts - and in trackwork on Tuesday.
“When I looked up and he’d dashed away, I was thinking, ‘Oh wow’.
“But I kept edging, and that last 150 metres, I knew I was going to pick him up. But for him [Attica] to do that and win in this fashion and the times that he’s run this early in his career, it’s very exciting.”
Attica is the first foal out of Savatiano, who won five Group 2s, a Group 3 and a Listed. She was also placed three times at Group 1 level, but her only elite “win” - in the Canterbury Stakes (Gr 1, 1300m) of 2021 - was stripped from her a year later due to a positive swab.
Savatiano has a two-year-old colt named Sabates (Palace Pier) awaiting his first start with Ciaron Maher, a yearling colt by I Am Invincible (Invincible Spirit), and missed last year to Extreme Choice (Not A Single Doubt).
Lonhro, who was retired in 2023 and died in April last year aged 25, has 98 stakes winners from 1,528 runners at 6.4 per cent.
Napoleonic marches to Red Anchor glory
Outstanding stallion Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj) may be gone but he might have left a potential stallion in the making in Napoleonic if Saturday’s Red Anchor Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) is any indication.
After wins at Wyong and Warwick Farm for his trainers John O’Shea and Tom Charlton, the three-year-old colt took his Sydney form to Melbourne and crushed a smart nine-runner field in the set weights event by 4.25 lengths as $3 favourite.
Jumping from the widest gate for James McDonald, Napoleonic was forced to travel three wide in midfield, but with cover, before pouncing on the leaders in a twinkling with an exhilarating burst of speed around the home turn.
The Clinton McDonald-trained filly Live (Zoustar) earned black type as runner-up at her second start at $16, with Chris Waller’s colt Ornithology (Too Darn Hot) third at $31.
A month after Wootton Bassett’s death at Coolmore Stud in the Hunter Valley, Napoleonic became his sire’s second Australian-bred stakes winner after last month’s MVRC Stutt Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m) success of West Of Swindon.
And Napoleonic’s victory came just 15 minutes after Wootton Bassett’s progeny had filled the minor placings in Randwick’s prestigious Kirkham Plate (1000m), with filly Pearl Of Dubai second and Coolmore’s $1.4 million colt Defensemen third.
Bred by Bill Frost, Napoleonic was a $360,000 Inglis Easter buy from the draft of Widden Stud, where he was born and raised, for Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock, and is now owned by Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing.
"He's got a beautiful, natural cruising speed and action,” said a delighted co-trainer Charlton after the Red Anchor.
“John and I said [to James] to trust the horse and if you get caught deep, don't overthink it, keep it simple and hopefully he's the best horse in the race.
“He's a beautifully minded horse, very tractable and put them away with ease.”
A little slow to hand, Napoleonic debuted as a February two-year-old, finishing sixth at Warwick Farm, before a length second in Newcastle juvenile feature the Paul Perry 2YO Handicap (1300m).
Put away for more development, he scored back-to-back 1200-metre wins at Wyong and Warwick Farm before a creditable fourth in Rosehill’s Roman Consul Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) which led into Saturday.
The only down note about Saturday’s win might be that it’s come too late for a tilt at next Saturday’s stallion-making Coolmore Stud Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) at Flemington.
Charlton was non-committal about attempting the back-up.
“He's a beautifully minded horse, very tractable and put them away with ease
"We were thinking not, as we thought that race would probably come a bit too soon,” he said.
“We'll just take a breath, think about it and speak to connections. Whether it is this prep or next prep, he'll be a better horse next prep anyway."
McDonald was full of praise for Napoleonic.
"He is a gorgeous horse. He's a pleasure to do anything with. He let rip today and I was impressed,” he said.
"Obviously caught a bit deep but he floated into the race well. He was electric. Nice horse.
"I was pretty comfortable throughout. He built into the race from the 400 to the 200 unbelievably well. A really good transition, too.
"He cornered well and obviously adapted to Moonee Valley brilliantly. Well trained and perfectly executed."
Napoleonic is the seventh foal out of four-time Melbourne city winner Jolie Brise (Fastnet Rock), whose fourth foal Ready Set Sail (More Than Ready) was a Group 3 winner, and whose fifth foal Set The Sails (More Than Ready) was stakes-placed.
Second dam Vestey (Last Tycoon) won an Adelaide Group 3 and was a three-quarter sister to influential broodmare Decidity (Last Tycoon), matriarch of one of the great stud book families and dam of stakes winners Bonaria (Redoute’s Choice), Legally Bay (Snippets) and Time Out (Rory’s Jester).
In winning Saturday’s race, Napoleonic became Wootton Bassett’s 75th individual stakes winner worldwide from 834 runners at 8.99 per cent.
Jolie Brise now has a two-year-old filly Josain (Zousain) awaiting her first start for the Archibald stable, and a filly foal by Zousain (Zoustar).
Bargain buy Salty Pearl lands Fillies Classic
After waiting more than a year for his first Group winner, Yulong Stud stallion Tagaloa (Lord Kanaloa) now has two in the space of a week after bargain buy Salty Pearl won Saturday’s Fillies Classic (Gr 2, 1600m) at Moonee Valley.
A week after two-year-old Listed winner Spicy Lu scored Tagaloa’s Group breakthrough in Caulfield’s Ethereal Stakes (Gr 3, 2000m), Salty Pearl led home a quality field of ten in the set weights contest with an authoritative one length victory.
It was a second win in eight starts alongside four placings for the grey, and a well-deserved stakes success after three black type placings.
Salty Pearl was runner-up at her second start in April in Bendigo’s rich VOBIS Gold Rush (1100m) before a third in Morphettville’s David Coles Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) and a campaign-closing Caulfield two-year-old handicap success over 1200 metres.
The Ciaron Maher-trained filly returned for the spring with two thirds in the Atlantic Jewel Stakes (Listed, 1200m) and Thousand Guineas Prelude (Gr 2, 1400m), before a fourth in the Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) last Saturday.
Backed up a week later, she was sent out a well-supported $2.15 favourite in the Fillies Classic and didn’t disappoint.
After travelling sweetly just off a solid pace from gate three for Ben Allen, Salty Pearl looked in some trouble when held up for a run rounding the home turn.
But soon after straightening, a split opened between leaders Star Of Omaha (Omaha Beach) and Enviable (Frankel) as the latter drifted outwards, and Salty Pearly drove through it in fine style to pull away.
Chris Waller’s Enviable took second as $3.60 second elect, with Prestige Snitzel (Snitzel) third for Matt Laurie at $13.
Bred by the now-retired trainer David Brideoake, Salty Pearl was a $75,000 purchase for Adrien Senechaud’s syndication firm the Starblue Consultancy in tandem with Maher at Inglis Classic, and has now earned $466,000 in prize-money.
“It’s great for Adrian and the Starblue crew. They get nice valued horses and they spend a lot of time at the sales,” Maher said.
“How good that they’ve got a stakes-winning filly on Cox Plate day? You don’t get much better than that.
“Ben’s had a great association with her and he’s riding with a lot of confidence. It was a beautiful patient ride. He had to wait for his time and he knew what he had underneath him and it was a very good result.”
Asked about the quick back-up, Maher said: “This race came up a bit light so I thought we’d have a go.”
“She’s got an electric turn-of-foot and she was the class horse today
He added the filly might be aimed at adding a Group 1 to her broodmare CV in the autumn’s Surround Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) for fillies at Randwick.
“She wasn’t far away in the Thousand Guineas. Restricted to fillies, that is probably her go. If she improves again then she’ll be thereabouts,” he said.
“We put the shades [blinkers] on the last couple of starts and got that much more focus as well. She’s a filly with a bright future.”
Allen conceded he was worried when blocked for a run approaching the home bend.
“At the 200 [metres], it was a bit easier but before that I probably can’t share what my thoughts were,” he said.
“We just had to trust the horse. She was travelling that well so it was just a matter of finding the slightest gap and she was going good enough.
“If J-Mac [on Enviable] hadn’t have rolled out, I was going to have to extricate myself to the outside.
“Gee she’s so honest. Running in a Group 1 last week on the week back-up.
“Ciaron and the team have done a great job. She’s just so honest. It was a big step putting the blinkers on and stepping up in trip last time. I think today it has helped and put her that much more in my hands.
“She’s been off the bridle and having to get up after 100 metres. She’s got an electric turn-of-foot and she was the class horse today.”
Salty Pearl is the second and best foal out of Leaven Of Malice (Sebring), who won at Muswellbrook on debut but not again in 15 starts, and who was retired from breeding last year after only three foals.
Second dam Tempest Tost (Statue Of Liberty) won the Gold Coast’s Magic Millions 3YO Trophy (RL, 1400m) alongside two Melbourne city wins, and is the dam of the Group 3-winning and Group 2-placed Mildred (Hinchinbrook).
Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Tagaloa, who’s covering his fifth book at Yulong for $22,000, unchanged from last year, now has two stakes winners from 43 runners at 4.65 per cent, and 15 individual winners.
