Champion jockey James McDonald believes $5.5 million mare Via Sistina will show the true power of European racing in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock is the $2.20 Queen Elizabeth favourite after she lived up to expectations with her winning Australian debut in the Ranvet Stakes three weeks ago.
“She just won so easily at Rosehill the other day,” McDonald said. “She could have gone faster, and it was a perfect preparation for this race.
“I know that this sounds silly, but I could just feel there was another gear there for me to use.
“We don’t get to see horses like her come over here from Europe too often, and she is in another class.”
McDonald has ridden on both sides of the world and knows his European form, so he was excited before he’d even sat on Via Sistina.
James McDonald high-fives Yulong’s Sam Fairgray as he returns on Via Sistina after winning the Ranvet Stakes.Credit: Getty
She was a winner of Ireland’s premier fillies and mares group 1, the Pretty Polly Stakes, but it was her second to King Of Steel in the Champions Stakes at Ascot at her last run before she came to Australia that really caught McDonald’s eye.
“It is one of their best races over there, and she should have won it, I’m told,” he said. “She went to the front two furlongs [400m] from home and the jockey dropped his whip. She was a sitting duck for a good horse.
“Sometimes that form can be misleading, but she is the real deal and could be worth $10 million by the time she is finished.”
Via Sistina is part of $12 million worth of runners Yulong will have on show in the Queen Elizabeth, including former French mare Place Du Carrousel, which was the Ranvet runner-up, and cost $6.6 million at the end of 2023.
Bookmakers have shortened Via Sistina in betting from $2.40 to $2.20 as punters zero in on the favourite and TAB’s Tim Ryan believes she might get even shorter by race time.
“The money came for Pride Of Jenni straight after the barrier draw, but since then it has been all for Via Sistina,” he said. “She is the only horse they want in the race. She ticks a lot of boxes.”
Via Sistina has four wins and three seconds from her eight starts over the 2000m trip of the Queen Elizabeth and McDonald believes the added pressure from natural front-runner Pride Of Jenni will play in their favour.
“She gets the perfect set-up with Pride Of Jenni there to run them along on the weekend,” McDonald said. “Last time [Via Sistina] wanted to get her head up when they were going slow, so the extra speed will help her to relax and drop her head for me.
“She’s still going to have that big motor there when I need it.”
Via Sistina is one of three group 1 favourites McDonald will ride on the second day of The Championships. He will also jump aboard New Zealand filly Orchestral, the $1.65 favourite in the Australian Oaks, and Zougotcha in the Queen Of The Turf.
“Being on favourites is no guarantee because on Golden Slipper day last year I rode four group 1 favourites and only won on Anamoe,” McDonald said.
“I’m riding some pretty good horses on the weekend. Orchestral won a New Zealand Derby and hasn’t missed a beat since she got here.
“She won the Vinery [Stud Stakes] a couple of weeks ago and even though she will be having her seventh run of the preparation, she is showing no signs that she is coming to the end of it.
“Zougotcha has been perfect this prep and won the Coolmore Classic against the same sort of field giving them all weight. She just feels like she is going to peak on Saturday, so I go to Randwick very confident.”
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