Outstanding Irish import Via Sistina is aiming to extract revenge on the bold front-running Pride Of Jenni in Saturday’s (14 September) Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) at Flemington.
Via Sistina has raced three times in Australia, all in Sydney, and won first-up in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill but finished 6.54 lengths behind Pride Of Jenni in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Randwick when the mare at one stage of the race led by a staggering margin.
But Via Sistina scored at good odds when she won first-up at her most recent run in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick last month.
With two wins and a second from her three Australian races, and all in Group 1 company, the seven-year-old mare is entitled to be the top fancy in the HK$3.97 million race.
Pride Of Jenni, now a three-time Group 1 winner including twice over 1600m, was disappointing first-up in the G1 Memsie Stakes (1400m) when she finished fifth, beaten 5.65 lengths after leading than fading. She has never won fresh and her second-up record is much better and trainer Ciaron Maher is confident the mare can bounce back.
Last year’s winner, Mr Brightside is a 1400m/1600m specialist and finished a narrow second to Pinstriped in the Memsie Stakes and finished third to Pride Of Jenni and Via Sistina in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Ben Hayes, who trains in partnership with his brothers Will and JD, said the six-time Group 1 winner had produced the best first-up run of his 35 race career.
“From a data perspective, that was his best first-up run that he’s ever put in,” Hayes said.
“So he was a little bit stiff to be beaten. We just ran into a fitter horse on the day, who is a very good horse himself. He’ll naturally improve and there will be a lot more improvement to come after Saturday.”
Waller and Maher both have two runners in the race.
While Pride Of Jenni is Maher’s top hope, he also has Circle Of Fire.
As well at the highly-fancied Via Sistina, Waller also has Atishu who finished behind the stable star in the Winx Stakes (1400m).
While Via Sistina shouldn’t be bothered by Melbourne’s left-hand way of going, Atishu has also won three times and has a second and a third place from six races at the track.
Waller said it was exciting taking headline acts on tour.
Pinstriped broke through for his maiden Group 1 victory in the Memsie Stakes and showed he is up to racing at the ultimate level. His trainer Enver Jusufovic said the six-year-old gelding had not taken a backward step since last week’s victory.
“He has pulled up great,” Jusufovic said. “You can’t hide from the opposition and this is tougher than the Memsie.”
Warmonger, with three wins from nine starts, has come a long way in a short time and he’ll have some support at odds.
