Via Sistina makes history while taking 2nd straight Winx Stakes

Via Sistina added her 10th Group 1 triumph when she held on to win Saturday for the second straight year in the US$642,737 Winx Stakes, a seven-furlong, weight-for-age, turf sprint at Randwick in Sydney.

Considered to be an 8-year-old on the southern-hemisphere calendar, the daughter of Fastnet Rock the first mare that age to win a top-level race in Australia since Tranquil Star took the 1945 Mackinnon, now known as the Champions Stakes (G1).

Via Sistina (6-5) and her jockey James McDonald traveled in eighth place up the backstretch among the 11 male and female starters. Racing in the two path making the right turn for home, she accelerated to challenge early pacesetter Robusto (10-1) and rail-hugging Lindermann (20-1).

Splitting rivals, Via Sistina took the lead with three-sixteenths of a mile to go. Her stablemate Aeliana (5-1) dug in to make it a duel to the finish, where Via Sistina prevailed by a neck to pay $4.40, $2.70 and $2.60 in the North America market. The final time without a run-up was 1:26.02 for the 1,400 meters, nine yards short of seven furlongs. The course which was softened by earlier rain was rated heavy.

Aeliana, a 4-year-old filly, returned $6.40 and $5.20 to complete the exacta for trainer Chris Waller. Arapaho (34-1) was another 1 1/2 lengths up the track in third and paid $15.30 to show.

Full Count Felicia, who was a Grade 1 winner in North America, finished eighth in her second Australia start for Waller and for Yu Long Investments, also the owner of Via Sistina. Full Count Felicia finished fourth March 22 in the Ranvet (G1) at Rosehill.

Via Sistina earned her most prestigious win in September when she scored by eight lengths in the Cox Plate (G1), a race she is being pointed to again next month. She has won four consecutive starts with previous victories in the Verry Elleegant (G1), the Ranvet and the Queen Elizabeth II (G1).

Bred in Ireland, Via Sistina has a record of 25: 14-4-3 racing in Europe through 2023 and in Australia since. With Saturday’s US$372,787 first-place money, she has US$8,613,318 in total earnings based on the Saturday’s rate of exchange.