Ladbrokes Cox Plate (Group 1)
VIA Sistina became the first horse since Winx to win consecutive Cox Plates, triumphing in the 105th and final iteration at Moonee Valley’s current course configuration.
Emotion was high with this being the final Cox Plate at Moonee Valley as racing ceases until 2027. Redevelopment will see the ‘inner-city amphitheatre’ take on more of a Happy Valley look as nine apartment towers are built on the racetrack’s current footprint and the home straight rotated 90 degrees clockwise.
Scheduled as the day’s final race, and following an all-in singalong of ‘The Horses’ by musician Daryl Braithwaite performing the Ricky Lee Jones song, Via Sistina was sent out a short-priced favourite in a field of eight for the A$6 million Group 1 over 2,040 metres.
Lined out in single-file as they exited the straight the first time, James McDonald looked comfortable with Via Sistina’s mid-field position as Light Infantry Man led.
At the 1,200 metre mark, the deck started to be shuffled, as Nepotism worked forward two-wide, providing a cart for Via Sistina, before she peeled off at the 600 metres to mark her charge.
Off her back, Buckaroo loomed wide on the bend to match motors with Via Sistina as Treasurethe Moment went for home. Still chasing, Via Sistina got the better of Treasurethe Moment 75 metres from home as Buckaroo kept closing.
Hitting the line locked together, Via Sistina got the judge’s verdict by a short-half head over Buckaroo to complete a quinella for both Fastnet Rock and trainer Chris Waller as the Alabama Express filly Treasurethe Moment made it first and third for owners Yulong Investments.
Benchmarks
“I know she hasn’t won her last two runs, but all the data suggests she’s flying and once they set those benchmarks, providing the horse is healthy and well, you know they’re going to get somewhere close to it,” said Waller.
“There’s been a few of those ‘don’t panic, don’t change anything, don’t think about anything’ moments. Let the horses do the talking. She had to dig deep. I knew she could and she did.”
The eight-year-old Fastnet Rock mare has now won 10 Group 1 races in Australia from 15 starts, as well as her 2023 Pretty Polly Stakes win as her career earnings from 28 starts now exceeds $17.5 million.
The win also brought up a fourth consecutive Cox Plate win for James McDonald, matching the feat of Hugh Bowman with Winx from 2015 to 2018. “I’m extremely proud of it, obviously it’s one of the greatest races on our calendar, and it’s been like that for over a century,” said McDonald.
“I’m more proud of the great association with a champion stable and I’ve ridden three great horses - arguably the best horses I’ve sat on; Anamoe, Romantic (Warrior) and Via (Sistina). They’ve been so special to me and my family. I’m so proud of her. She deserved to be in the same breath as Sunline and those sort of horses with two Cox Plates.”
Via Sistina is rated a good chance to go to Leamington on the last day of the Melbourne Cup carnival to contest the Group 1 Champions Stakes over 2,000 metres which she won last year, whilst Buckaroo is locked in for the Melbourne Cup having run ninth in the 3,200 metre handicap last year as a $6 favourite after finishing second in the Caulfield Cup.
THE Ciaron Maher-trained Observer walloped his rivals in the Group 2 Vase at Moonee Valley on Saturday and he will head into today’s Victoria Derby a raging favourite.
Sent out in the red at $1.75, the Ghaiyyath colt led through the final bend, put five lengths on his chasers and was then eased down by Mark Zahra, the length margin not reflective of the arrogant nature of the victory.
Second was the Wootton Bassett colt Providence ahead of the Shamus Award gelding O’Sheamus.
“He put the writing on the wall last time he ran in (third) the (Caulfield) Guineas,” said Maher.
“You’d think he’d only get better, given his breeding as he stretches out. Fantastic for Godolphin. He’s a colt with a very bright future. When he (Mark Zahra) throttled off a little bit late, I thought, ‘geez he did that quite early’, but he was probably looking after him for next week. He’s building with each run.”
Moet & Chandon Spring Champion Stakes (Group 1)
SEVEN lengths from the favourite with more than half of the 2,000 metres of Randwick’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes for three-year-olds complete, Attica had to dig deep as the favoured Shangri La Boy was a big leader inside the 150-metre mark.
Shutting down the Pierro colt’s four-length advantage, Attica couldn’t have been more impressive in winning the 10-furlong contest by a neck over Shangri La Boy, the pair two lengths clear of the third-placed Proisir filly The Pearls.
“I’ve never won a Group 1 race with a colt before,” said trainer Joe Pride of the Lonhro colt.
“Most of my big race winners have been with older horses, geldings and mares, so to win this race with such a high-profile colt as Attica is very satisfying. Attica has gone from a maiden to a Group 1 win in four starts, all in his first preparation and that is something I haven’t done before, either. I’ve been handed a beautiful horse by Godolphin and horses like this weren’t on my doorstep a couple of years ago, so it’s nice to be working with quality and yeah, it’s a great result.”
Unraced as a juvenile, Attica, a Godolphin home-bred by Lonhro, debuted in September and has now won three from four, with Adam Hyeronimus on board for all.
“I find with this race, it’s very much the same every year, the best horse generally wins,” said Hyeronimus. “But for him to do that, the way he’s won and the times that he’s run, this early in his career, Joe’s right, he’s very, very exciting.”
FOLLOWING third acceptances on Monday, 40 horses remained in the A$10 million Melbourne Cup with the final field of 24 to be confirmed after today’s Victoria Derby meeting with the fourth and final declarations requiring a A$55,000 payment.
Confirmed starters for the internationals are the Belmont Gold Cup winner Parchment Party for trainer Bill Mott, Joseph O’Brien’s pair of Al Riffa, Simon and Ed Crisford’s Meydaan, Presage Nocturne, fourth in the Caulfield Cup for Alessandro Botti, Chevalier Rose for Hisashi Shimizu, Furthur for Andrew Balding.
However, Absurbe, Goodie Two Shoes and German challenger Flatten The Curve all have to pass a veterinary inspection this morning as they did not satisfy in a walk-up mid-week despite having passed all the pre-race scans.