Congratulations to Via Sistina, who today etched her name into racing history! She had already made history as the first eight-year-old mare to win the prestigious Cox Plate at The Valley. Champion jockey James McDonald was at his finest navigating Via Sistina through to her latest success. This historic victory has in turn propelled her career prize money past $18 million, cementing her fifth place on the all-time earnings list for thoroughbreds.
The race quickly unraveled spectacularly as Via Sistina rounded into home in sixth. It had the task of threading the needle through a crowded packed field. It was a daunting challenge for McDonald, as he was five wide on the turn. That’s exactly what he did, making an early aggressive move to position himself for a prayer at a strong competitive result. Despite not securing a dominant victory like last year’s record-equalling eight-length win, Via Sistina showcased her resilience by battling fiercely down the straight.
Chris Waller, Via Sistina’s trainer, described his feelings in the moments after the race, acknowledging the importance of this victory. This hard-earned victory was Waller’s sixth in the legendary 2040-meter classic, and further testimony to the legend he has been building in the game of horse racing.
And to the credit of Via Sistina, the musicianship that has been presented was world class. She is now one of just five mares to have won the Cox Plate twice. Even the legendary Bruce McAvaney was blown away by her performance, declaring, “This fight up the straight was the most incredible fight.” He pronounced her “an amazing champion.”
Here’s what McDonald said after the race – you can hear in his voice the relief and joy of realizing that they’d pulled it off. “I love this place. I’m blessed to ride champion racehorses. Blessed to be a part of a champion stable,” he remarked. He acknowledged the significance of this victory compared to his previous accomplishments: “Even though it wasn’t seven lengths… I’m just over the moon.”
Waller was in agreement with McDonald, referring to the first win as “special.” He continued that every win since then is just a cherry on top.
