Via Sistina digs deep to claim Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes
Via Sistina ($1.55) has turned the tables on stable companion Fangirl ($3.30) to claim an impressive victory in the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday afternoon.
The Chris Waller-trained pair fought out the finish in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m) on February 15, with Fangirl narrowly getting the verdict first-up over 1400m.
Via Sistina was heavily backed with horse racing bookmakers to finish the better this time around, with James McDonald being legged aboard to continue his association with the superstar seven-year-old.
McDonald was able to press forward and land in front of Fangirl in transit, with Golden Path ($34.00) and Lindermann ($11.00) ticking over some strong sectionals in the middle stages.
Fawkner Park ($51.00) and Arapaho ($71.00) were asked to accelerate in the final 400m but simply couldn’t match motors with Via Sistina and Fangirl, with the pair storming down the centre of the course.
Lindermann kept finding under the urgings of Nash Rawiller; however, it was all Via Sistina in the final furlong, with the daughter of Fastnet Rock producing a stunning turn-of-foot to secure her sixth Group 1 triumph since arriving to Australia.
It was the 11th victory for Chris Waller in the Verry Elleegant Stakes and spoke about his star pair post-race.
“It’s a great thrill,” said Waller.
“I knew it was going to be a battle of tactics, and James was concerned about the draw, in terms of where we would get to.
“The track is racing pretty quick today and it’s hard to make up a lot of ground. So the last 200m I was proud, simple as that. Unfortunately there had to be a winner.
“It’s been a great story. Twelve months ago she 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.
“I’ll have a talk to the Yulong team. I’ll give them my plan and make sure that we’re peaking for the Queen Elizabeth. Whether we do that through the George Ryder or the Ranvet on the same day. Traditionally I would normally go to the George Ryder but with her I’d be more inclined to go to the Ranvet because I think she’s a better 2000m horse.”
James McDonald was relieved post-race and suggested Via Sistina would be hard to beat moving forward in the preparation.
“I thought they are supposed to be easier than that,” said McDonald.
“No, she was great. Second-up last preparation, that was her worst run so we had that in the back of our mind and she’s come away and obviously got through that well. She’s got through her second-up run and now it’s all upside from here.
“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.
“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.”
Via Sistina is currently a $1.60 favourite with Bet365 for the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on March 22.
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