Champion trainer Chris Waller to take up until race morning to decide whether Via Sistina takes her place in the Cox Plate
Via Sistina will be given up until race morning for Chris Waller to decide whether the super mare takes her place in Saturday’s Cox Plate at The Valley.
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Champion trainer Chris Waller will take right up until Saturday morning, if required, to ensure Cox Plate contender Via Sistina is “100 per cent” for Australia’s best race.
Waller breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday after Via Sistina pulled up “remarkably well” from a nerve-racking riderless gallop during Breakfast with the Best at The Valley.
“We’ll accept for Saturday and use all that time, right up until Saturday morning, to make sure everyone is happy,” Waller said.
“The horse is 100 per cent first and foremost, we’ll go beyond that, take bloods, make sure the vets are happy, make sure the strappers are happy, she will only run if she’s 100 per cent.”
Via Sistina dropped jockey James McDonald around the home bend and completed a further two laps of the course before being captured in the back straight.
It is thought Via Sistina, one of the favourite’s for Saturday’s Cox Plate, took a fright after a bandage on her front leg came loose and flapped in the wind.
A piece of gear also broke and became tangled up in her legs.
Thankfully, Via Sistina kept her feet and galloped on powerfully.
“She’s had a more than expected work out this morning, but in terms of how she is, she’s recovered really well,” Waller said.
“She’s had a tough day on the training track, the key now, this afternoon, is a nice easy time, she’d normally have a gallop Thursday, that will be abandoned, it’s not required.
“She’ll have a light cantering in the park type work, a trip to the beach, let her be a horse, nice picks of grass and just let her chill out.”
Racing Victoria and Waller veterinarians thoroughly examined Via Sistina after the incident.
“It’s live sport and working with animals, what can happen in training the good and bad,” Waller said.
“Bandage has come loose, she’s stood on the bandage and then a piece of gear has broken and sort of tripped, that piece of gear has got caught up in her back leg and that’s given her a fright and she’s run on fair for a couple of laps.
“She’s settled down now… she doesn’t have a hair missing, there’s no blood, no skin off, our vet looked at her and the Racing Victoria vet, our vet has been over her thoroughly and I’ve been over her as well.
“Firstly, when I first saw her I feared the worst that something tragically might’ve gone wrong and you take comfort that hasn’t happened and she’s safe.
“Second to that, no skin off, no hair off, horses are unpredictable animals and she just got a fright, her heart rate is back down.
“We’ve given her a nice walk, she’s had a good drink, almost a bucket of water, no different to us, replaced fluid and her heart rate is down.
“She dried off really quick which is a good sign, there’s no more sweat, we hosed her for a second time and she’s back to normal, while it’s disappointing I’m grateful the horse is 100 per cent.”
Remarkably, Waller endured a similar fright in 2009 when Rangirangdoo dropped the rider at The Valley before the Cox Plate.
Waller elected not to run in the Cox Plate, instead tackling the Group 2 Crystal Mile on the same day and was victorious with Rangirangdoo which smashed the track record.
“Training is unpredictable, it’s what these track riders and jockeys go through, the strappers and what not, but you always take something positive away, she’s fine,” Waller said.
“It happened one other time with Rangirangdoo, he was getting ready for a Cox Plate and almost an identical thing happened, we got scared and didn’t run him in the Cox Plate.
“He came out and won the Crystal Mile the same day and broke the track record, hopefully we can do something special Saturday.
“It’s not ideal but it’s great theatre and one I didn’t want to be part of.”
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J-Mac comes out of ordeal unscathed
James McDonald was cleared by medical staff at The Valley to continue to ride work following the freak incident on Via Sistina.
He will be assessed further this afternoon.
McDonald has rides at Warwick Farm on Wednesday.
“I’m not too bad, I’ve pulled up OK, touchwood, no injury, I feel OK at the moment,” McDonald said.
“I’ve got to ride tomorrow so make sure I’m OK this afternoon.”
While disappointed Via Sistina’s gallop ended the way it did, McDonald said the star Chris Waller-trained mare remained at the peak of her powers.
“She was going terrific, her build up has been brilliant and we were only 200m away from our final bit of work, a bit disappointing,” McDonald said.
“As long as she’s pulled up OK and Chris is happy with her, I’m OK.
“It’s part of sport, you ride the ups and you ride the downs.”
McDonald said Via Sistina has the capacity and ability to brush off the incident and compete for the Cox Plate on Saturday.
“She is aerobically a very clean winded horse and she’s obviously at the peak of her powers right now,” McDonald said.
“She’s an elite sportsperson, can’t get any fitter, we see all those sportspeople back up after swims after swims in the Olympics.
“We’re trained for it, as long as she pulls up in the right fashion and taken no harm from it, at least she didn’t fall, she regathered herself and cantered around… she’ll be fine.”
Originally published as Champion trainer Chris Waller to take up until race morning to decide whether Via Sistina takes her place in the Cox Plate
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