Via Sistina proves too strong in Verry Elleegant Stakes
Record-breaking Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) winner Via Sistina (7 m Fastnet Rock – Nigh by Galileo) racked up her seventh career Group 1 victory on Saturday when digging deep to score in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) at Randwick.
Having made a promising return to action when third, beaten a length by Fangirl (Sebring) first-up in the Apollo Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) last month, the Chris Waller-trained seven-year-old was sent off the $1.60 favourite to get back into the winner’s enclosure on Saturday.
Ridden by usual partner James McDonald, the daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) seemed to have a lot to do with 200 metres left to race but rallied gamely under pressure and found all the way to the line to defeat old rival Fangirl by 0.4 lengths.
Lindermann (Lonhro) finished in third place, called by a photo, giving Waller the trifecta in the Group 1. The first three home had also finished in the first three positions in the Apollo Stakes, however in a different order.
“I knew it was going to be a battle of tactics, and James was concerned about the draw [barrier eight], in terms of where we would get to,” Waller said.
“The track is racing pretty quick today and it is hard to make up a lot of ground so the last 200 metres I was proud, simple as that.
“Unfortunately, there had to be a winner. It’s been a great story. 12 months ago she [Via Sistina] wasn’t even in our lives, just a horse in quarantine and we were just starting getting to know her. And what’s happened in the past 12 months, it’s quite remarkable.
“As with Fangirl, she was here last year and then she went missing and she couldn’t run in the George Ryder. And Lindermann has had a setback as well, so they’ve all come back and done us very proud.”
McDonald, who was riding his 111th winner at Group 1 level, is hoping that Via Sistina can get back to her Cox Plate level further into this campaign.
“There’s no guarantees in racing, but she’s going to be awfully hard to beat, especially now that that second-up run is out of the way,” the winning rider said.
“We all know what she can do third and fourth-up, and her big one is fourth-up, so that’s when she won her Cox Plate.
“Hopefully she can get somewhere near that. She probably won’t ever get near that again but at least she can get somewhere near that.”