She was beaten home by a couple of fellow Chris Waller-trained females, but Via Sistina did little to dampen enthusiasm around her autumn campaign at Warwick Farm on Monday morning.
The Cox Plate winner made her first public appearance since her dominant Champions Stakes success in the second 900-metre trial for Group-class gallopers, which were conducted on a Heavy 8 surface.
🚨 ICYMI 🚨
The champ is back!
VIA SISTINA had her first trial back this morning at Warwick Farm, and was certainly the eye-catcher down the outside under @LaneDamian 👀
Also in the trial
– LADY SHENANDOAH
– CEOWULF
– BIRDMAN@cwallerracing / @racing_nsw pic.twitter.com/gWORG7tOs7— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 20, 2025
The daughter of Fastnet Rock settled third-last in the seven-horse trial and made ground under a light ride from Damian Lane to get within 2-1/2 lengths of Delichy Boulevard but was alongside both her and runner-up, Flight Stakes winner Lady Shenandoah, 50m after the finish.
Via Sistina will most likely have one more trial before resuming at Randwick on February 15 in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes (1400m), a race Waller has won six times, three of them with Winx.
Via Sistina’s main aim in autumn is the $5 million Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on April 12, which is also the goal for star four-year-old Ceolwulf, who was also in Monday’s second trial and was also given a light hit-out to finish fifth, beaten 3-3/4 lengths.
Delichy Boulevard ran 56.16secs, which was 0.80secs slower than Group 2 winner Glint Of Silver ran to win the first trial.
The David Pfeiffer-trained grey scored a narrow win over Caulfield Guineas winner Private Life, who closed off stylishly to be beaten narrowly.
Linebacker, who is now a gelding, coasted to line in third position, just under 1-1/2 lengths from Glint Of Silver, while Switzerland was not knocked around in his first appearance since winning the Coolmore Stud Stakes, finishing a 2-3/4-length fourth.
The fastest of the three 900m Group trials was the third heat, which saw the Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald-trained Lilac score a six-length win in 54.99secs.
Second in that trial was Waller-trained colt Gatsby’s, while his high-profile stablemate and last year’s Apollo Stakes winner Fangirl was allowed to do her own thing out the back among stablemates Kinesiology and Valiant King and coasted to the line in fifth position, beaten 12 lengths.
