NewsBite

‘Unfinished business’: James McDonald has score to settle aboard Via Sistina in 2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Driven by the heartbreak of two narrow defeats aboard Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior, James McDonald is on a revenge mission with Via Sistina in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Ray Thomas
5 min read
April 11, 2025 - 11:30AM
Punters – Hold All Tickets Ep 31 – Pro punter previews Randwick

Champion jockey James McDonald is being driven by the heartbreak of Romantic Warrior’s Dubai defeat and a revenge mission 12 months in the making when he rides Via Sistina in her historic quest for the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

McDonald missed Day One of The Championships last week to ride Hong Kong superstar Romantic Warrior in the Dubai Turf only to lose by the narrowest of margins.

But he was back in Sydney early Monday to prepare for the ride on Horse of the Year-elect Via Sistina in her season-ending race.

If Via Sistina wins Sydney’s showpiece autumn carnival weight-for-age race, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, it will be the mare’s seventh Group 1 success of the 2024-25 season, equalling mighty mare Winx’s record for most majors in a season.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

McDonald said there was some “unfinished business” with Via Sistina after the mare was beaten in the same race last year by a sensational frontrunning effort from Pride Of Jenni.

“I’m really looking forward to riding Via Sistina, she has had a great preparation, she has been nearly faultless,’’ McDonald said.

“Chris (Waller, trainer) has been really happy with Via Sistina and this is ‘Grand Final Day’ for her. Hopefully, we can get a bit of luck and she can show her wares.’’

McDonald likened Via Sistina’s autumn preparation to her spring campaign where she went into the Cox Plate fourth-up and produced a career-best effort to win by eight lengths, smashing Winx’s track record in the process.

• Clinton Payne’s 2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes tips, runner-by-runner form analysis

Via Sistina’s autumn race program mirrors her successful spring campaign with lead-up runs over the same distances to prepare for her main target, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

“She’s had a very similar preparation to the spring with a seven furlongs run (1400m) where she ran super, then she went to the mile (1600m) and had a gritty win over Fangirl,’’ McDonald said.

“In a slowly run Ranvet Stakes last start, she got the job done well and now she is ready for a peak performance on Saturday.’’

Via Sistina is the $1.90 TAB Fixed Odds favourite to complete her stellar season with a seventh Group 1 win.

• Favourites day: Is this the easiest $63 multi ever?

McDonald is riding the favourite in five races on Day Two of The Championships including Fangirl ($1.95), the outstanding six-year-old mare, who gets to race against her own sex for the first time in three years in the Group 1 $1 million Queen of the Turf Stakes (1600m).

“I have a real soft spot for this mare, I love her to bits,’’ McDonald said. “She’s a very good horse and deserves a big one this preparation.

“This does look a lovely race for her. She hasn’t had the opportunity to race against the fillies and mares for a long time now so it would be fitting is she can win on Saturday.’’

• 14 experts, 4 Group 1s: Saturday feature race tips, betting strategies for Randwick

McDonald also partners Autumn Glow, the three-year-old filly many regard as the “next big thing” in Australian racing and the $1.45 favourite for the Group 2 $1 million Arrowfield Sprint (1200m).

“Autumn Glow’s one of my most exciting rides on the day,’’ McDonald said. “She’s unbeaten and we hope to keep that record intact.

“I thought she was great first-up. She only does what she has to during a race but when you ask for an effort, she picks up nicely.

“She’s a bit like her dad (The Autumn Sun). He had a big, loping stride and covered the ground so well. This filly is the same, she’s a super talent.’’

• Jett Hatton’s 2025 Sydney Cup tips, runner-by-runner form analysis

McDonald doesn’t have a Sydney Cup ride but he is linking with the talented Leica Lucy in the Group 1 $1 million ATC Australian Oaks (2400m).

Leica Lucy, New Zealand’s answer to Treasurethe Moment, has joined the Waller stable after winning six of her seven starts including five in succession culminating with her last start Group 1 NZ Oaks win.

Treasurethe Moment, who is on a seven-race winning streak of her own, is the $1.60 favourite for the Oaks with Leica Lucy next at $5.

• Clinton Payne’s 2025 Australian Oaks tips, runner-by-runner form analysis

McDonald has had a sensational 2024-25 racing season, riding 16 Group 1 winners including five majors on Via Sistina and two international big-race wins on Romantic Warrior.

Via Sistina and Romantic Warrior are regarded by many as the best two horses in world racing.

Although McDonald was reluctant to compare Via Sistina and Romantic Warrior, he was aware of his privileged position to be riding two such great champions in the same era.

The jockey revealed Via Sistina and Romantic Warrior did share some common traits which set the champions apart from their rivals.

“They both have a phenomenal will-to-win,’’ he said.

“I’ve also noticed that all they want to do is please you. When you ask them to do something, they go that extra ‘mile’.

“It’s like a great athlete in the gym. If they are told to do 10 press-ups, they will do 12 instead, and that’s what these two horses do for you.’’

• Laurie Sainsbury’s Saturday tips: $26 chance set to improve sharply

McDonald said riding the two champions could be deceiving because both horses had seemingly effortless galloping styles.

“When you ask them to quicken a little in trackwork, it doesn’t feel like they have accelerated much but then you look at the times and you shake your head,’’ he said. “It all comes very easily to them.’’

McDonald only arrived home from Dubai on Monday morning but, in a demonstration of his professionalism, he went straight from the airport to Warwick Farm to ride Godolphin’s top colt Broadsiding in a barrier trial ahead of the Group 1 $1.5 million All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on April 19.

But the rider they call “JMac” is still hurting after Romantic Warrior was caught right on the line by Japan’s Soul Rush in the Dubai Turf last Saturday.

• Ray & Duff’s Randwick Saturday tips, analysis: Duff keen on $11 chance

“Romantic Warrior was really phenomenal,’’ McDonald said. “He went down in a blaze of glory, like he always does, and the result could have gone either way.

“Obviously, he is at the end of a long campaign and is feeling the effects of travelling around the world which is not easy to do but he has managed to keep racing remarkably well.

“The connections rolled the dice and travelled with ‘Romantic’ and it is unheard of what he has done, going from turf to dirt then back to turf.

“Those horses who ran well out of Saudi Arabia were all beaten in Dubai but for ‘Romantic’ to run such a great race shows how tough he is.’’

• Randwick Turf Talk: The horse to send everyone home from Randwick as winners

McDonald revealed earlier this week he spoke to Hong Kong-based Hugh Bowman, the Hall of Fame jockey famous as the regular rider of the great Winx, and gained a greater perspective on the impact Romantic Warrior had had on his riding career.

“I was talking to Hughie about what he went through with Winx and that is basically what I am going through with ‘Romantic’,’’ McDonald said.

“I am in awe of the horse and cherish those moments when I’m riding him. I don’t think I will ride a horse like him again.

“Romantic Warrior is a horse of a lifetime – I think he is my Winx.’’

Originally published as ‘Unfinished business’: James McDonald has score to settle aboard Via Sistina in 2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes

Read related topics:Queen Elizabeth

Add your comment to this story

To join the conversation, please Don't have an account? Register

Join the conversation, you are commenting as Logout

More related stories

Original URL: https://www.couriermail.com.au/sport/horse-racing/nsw-racing/unfinished-business-james-mcdonald-has-score-to-settle-in-aboard-via-sistina-in-2025-queen-elizabeth-stakes/news-story/a15d80a3adf4d667e1bd2cd91cd6a462