For the third time in the past week, Via Sistina has had a change to her spring program and will now contest this Saturday’s $750,000 Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at Flemington.
The 1600-metre event was identified as a likely next step for Via Sistina after her Winx Stakes win, but it was announced last week by her owner, Yulong, that she would be set on a different path as it did not want her to clash with its other star mare, Treasurethe Moment.
Via Sistina was to trial on Tuesday morning ahead of a start in Saturday week’s 7 Stakes at Randwick, but the Makybe Diva Stakes was put back on the radar after the Treasurethe Moment suffered a mild bout of colic on Monday morning, ruling her out of the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Waller confirmed plans for Via Sistina around an hour before she was scheduled to trial at Rosehill.
“Via Sistina will not trial this morning and will instead race in the Makybe Diva Stakes this Saturday at Flemington,” Waller said.
“She galloped well this morning and I am happy with her fitness levels.
“James McDonald will take the ride and Damian Lane will ride Aeliana.”
Via Sistina and Aeliana, who was narrowly defeated by her star stablemate in the Winx Stakes, were among 12 entries for the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Mr Brightside, Antino, Another Wil and Tom Kitten are among their potential rivals.
One absentee from the entries was Fangirl, who returned to Sydney after her disappointing run in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes and will continue her build-up to the $5 million Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1600m) out of Waller’s Rosehill base.
Via Sistina and Aeliana heading to Melbourne leaves her as Waller’s frontline hope in the $1 million 7 Stakes, but there is also the option of contesting the following week’s Group 2 Golden Pendant (1400m) as a final lead-up to the October 18 King Charles III Stakes.
