Reigning Australian Horse of the Year, who will visit Dubawi, belied humble beginnings in a rags-to-riches journey encompassing top-level success on both hemispheres
One of the great dual-hemisphere careers is over. The news that the top-class mare Via Sistina – the reigning Australian Horse of the Year – has been retired has brought down the curtain on a career that began in the margins of British racing before becoming the headline act in Australia, a transformation as complete as it was compelling.
The eight-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock – owning an Anglo-Aussie pedigree that mirrored her racecourse achievements – will begin her broodmare days with a mighty legacy to pass on to the next generation.
She is retired to the paddocks with 12 G1 wins to her name – among them back-to-back victories in the Cox Plate, Australia’s most prestigious weight-for-age race – and A$19.2m ($13.2m/£9.84m) in the bank, and a towering reputation that amply justified the phrase ‘horse of a lifetime’.
Trainer Chris Waller revealed the news in a statement. “I would like to thank Via Sistina for the journey she has taken us all on, from her first-up wins over short distances to her back-to-back Cox Plate victories, something we will always remember.
“She is tough, determined and a beautiful mare to work with,” added the trainer forever associated with another superstar mare in the legendary Winx.
Waller went on: “We feel that following her second Cox Plate win and her impressive victory in the Champions Stakes [in November], she hasn’t come back as her normal highly energetic self. We look forward to hearing what the future holds for her in the breeding barn and beyond. Thank you, Via Sistina.”
The extent of that journey seemed unlikely, to say the least, when she belatedly made her racecourse debut in the May of her three-year-old season. Via Sistina had cost just 5,000gns at the yearling sales – less than you might spend in a five-minute shopping spree on the high-end street in Rome after which she is named – and paid that outlay back when breaking her maiden on her second start.
She showed potential for trainer Joe Tuite that season but improved considerably when moved to the powerful yard of George Boughey, for whom she surefootedly bridged the gap between handicap company and Pattern class, blooming tardily but nevertheless brilliantly at the age of five.
Via Sistina made her breakthrough at G1 level in the Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh in July 2023. Perhaps that victory foretold the twist in her tale; the race was sponsored by Yulong, the racing empire of Chinese mega-magnate Zhang Yuesheng, and the impression she left that day was clearly not lost on him.
Six months later Zhang bought Via Sistina at Tattersalls, the final bid of 2.7 million guineas a world away from her first price tag but just as much of a bargain considering what was to come. Zhang shipped her to Australia, a culture shock that does not always result in a horse retaining its northern-hemisphere form, but Via Sistina not only retained her ability but built thrillingly upon it.
“She was big, she was imposing and she was like a basketballer,” Waller told Idol Horse. “Not refined, but you could see there was a motor there. How she would adapt to Australia, we had no idea.”
Seamlessly, you might say. On her first start for Waller she won the G1 Ranvet Stakes at Rosehill in Sydney, and never looked back. Her celebrity status within racing was soon assured, but she made it from the sports page to the front page when decanting jockey James McDonald during a public workout four days before the 2024 Cox Plate at Moonee Valley, making four circuits of the compact Melbourne venue before being caught.
Four days later she wouldn’t be caught, hosing a high-class international field by eight lengths in track-record time. McDonald was fined for celebrating victory before crossing the line, but the po-faced pickpocket stewards couldn’t take the gloss off the moment for the winning jockey.
“It was a Winx-like performance. I can’t believe it,” said McDonald, invoking comparison with the very best. “What this mare has been through; she’s just an absolute star. I’m so lucky to be a part of it.”
Twelve months later Via Sistina won her second Cox Plate in markedly different style, fighting like a tiger to beat stablemate Buckaroo by a short head, a superlative performance but perhaps indicative that the sand might be running fast through the hourglass.
There was time for one more race, one more win, her second successive score in the G1 TAB Champions Stakes at Flemington in November, and then the announcement that left everyone in Australian racing replaying happy memories of one of the best there’s been. She retires ranked fifth in the Thoroughbred Racing Commentary Global Rankings, further evidence of the profound impact her career has had on the sport.
”Via Sistina has been nothing but phenomenal from the moment she stepped on to Australian turf for the first time,” went the media statement from owner Yulong.
”She epitomises the dream for many in the sport of kings; a true underdog who ultimately transcended the sport, capturing the hearts and minds of all who witnessed her in full flight. Her versatility, toughness and immense heart has set her apart from many.”
The circle of life now brings Via Sistina back to where it all began, as she will return to Britain shortly to be covered by breed-shaping stallion Dubawi.
One door must close for another to open, but what she did on the racecourse will never be forgotten. Waller’s valediction rings true across the sport; thank you, Via Sistina.
• Visit the Chris Waller Racing website
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