Champion mare Via Sistina is at her peak and ready to grab back-to-back victories in Saturday’s (25 October) G1 Cox Plate (2040m) at Moonee Valley in Melbourne, Australia, according to trainer Chris Waller.
The 10-time Group 1 winner obliterated the field in last year’s weight-for-age race when she powered away at the 400-metre mark to win by eight lengths in track record time of 2m 1.07s.
The eight-year-old began her campaign in August with a narrow victory on heavy ground at Royal Randwick in the G1 Winx Stakes (1400m) when she finished just in front of stablemate Aeliana, whom she will again encounter on Saturday.
But not everything went to plan in her next two races at Flemington, which weren’t run to suit Via Sistina, who finished third to Mr Brightside and Aeliana in the G1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m). She was third again to Sir Delius and Saturday’s main combatant, Antino, in the G1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m).
Waller is expecting a different result from the past two lead-up races.
“Her recent runs have been fine and we’ve been happy with them,” Waller said. “I don’t think she could have done much better. She is ready to peak Saturday, and I can’t fault her fitness or her form; her soundness and her mental strength is there.
“She loves the Valley and we saw what she did last year and broke the track record and she only needs to go close to that and she’ll be fine.”
Rider James McDonald said the mare could use some good fortune.
“Hopefully we get a bit of luck and she can show her wares,” McDonald said. “She feels excellent. She loves the Valley, so that’s a really good sign.”
As well as Via Sistina and four-year-old filly Aeliana, Waller will also saddle Buckaroo, who he admits must improve, but is confident he will if the track is soft.
Hong Kong-based Hugh Bowman, who rode Waller’s champion mare Winx in 31 of her 33 consecutive wins – including her four Cox Plate victories in 2015 to 2018 – has the ride on Aeliana.
Waller said there was a lot of history with Bowman riding in the big race.
“He’s a dead-set hall of famer rider still riding at his peak. He rides the Valley so well and I really think he’ll suit Aeliana and I touched on Winx having similar attributes to Aeliana,” Waller said.
Antino looms as Via Sistina’s biggest threat, and jockey Blake Shinn said he had a horse that was “flying”, having already finished in front of the mare.
“I can’t tell you how I’m going to ride him, but I know I’ve got a horse that can do anything,” Shinn said.
Nepotism, the only three-year-old in the race, will carry just 109lb. The colt possesses genuine talent that could surprise. Ciaron Maher has warned not to write off Light Infantry Man, who, along with Attrition, is a long shot.
Four-year-old filly Treasurethe Moment has been set for the race, but some of the gloss has been taken off her with seconds in her past two starts.
The Cox Plate is carded as S1-10 and will be run at 2:40pm (Hong Kong time) on Saturday, 25 October.
