Via Sistina is the reigning queen of Australian racing but stablemate Aeliana is the horse trainer Chris Waller believes could be her heir apparent.
The established star and rising young talent clash for the first time in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday, Via Sistina a $2.30 favourite for back-to-back titles and Aeliana ($7.50) facing her maiden test in open company.
“She is the unknown,” Waller said of Aeliana.
“I think she will measure up being a multiple Group One winner. She has won a Derby, been placed behind the best horses in her three-year-old year when she hasn’t won.
“It is pretty exciting with her. She is probably next year’s queen if she keeps making the rapid rise like she has done.”
Waller said the challenge for Aeliana would be not only taking the step from three-year-old company to open grade but keeping the speed in her legs.
The mare was stretched to 2400m to thump the males in the ATC Derby in the autumn, although she did place first-up behind Broadsiding in the Hobartville Stakes (1400m) last preparation.
Aeliana is also untested on a heavy track and Randwick is expected to be in the extreme range for the opening Group 1 meeting of the season.
The conditions also present a query for Via Sistina, who was a well beaten fifth at her only start on heavy ground in last year’s Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m), her lone unplaced effort in 11 Australian runs.
However, Waller warned that performance could be deceiving and said Via Sistina’s wet track form overseas indicated she would handle a genuinely heavy surface.
“It’s hard to compare tracks but the one thing I don’t think she likes is a shifty track and that’s what she got in the Makybe Diva last year,” he said.
“It rained an hour before the race, it actually hailed, and it was a firm base and it was quite shifty. She didn’t like it.
“But when she is getting into the ground, which is where her English form comes in, I think she is pretty good.”
Lindermann, Fangirl and former American mare Full Count Felicia round out Waller’s Winx Stakes quintet and all are expected to line up despite the anticipated heavy 10 conditions.
