Chris Waller’s Group 1-winning mares Via Sistina, Fangirl on Winx Stakes collision course

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller is likely to use his tried and true spring carnival race program for gifted mares Via Sistina and Fangirl with both expected to return to racing in the $1 million Winx Stakes at Royal Randwick next month.

Brilliant mares Fangirl (left) and Via Sistina are on a collision course for next month's Group 1 Winx Stakes.

Hall of Fame trainer Chris Waller is likely to use his tried and true spring carnival race program for gifted mares Via Sistina and Fangirl with both expected to return to racing in the $1 million Winx Stakes at Royal Randwick next month.

Waller often uses the Winx Stakes the first Group 1 of the new season, to get some of his best weight-for-age talents and Cups contenders back into racing mode ahead of their major spring carnival targets.

Mighty mare Winx was a three-time winner of the Randwick 1400m race renamed in her honour in 2016-17-18 before training on to win the Cox Plate in each of those years.

Waller is likely to follow a similar route with Yulong’s gifted imported mare Via Sistina, winner of the Ranvet Stakes at her Australian debut before her second placing behind the rampant Pride Of Jenni in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes during the Sydney autumn carnival.

“Via Sistina is back in work with Chris Waller at Rosehill and should be trialling in the next couple of weeks,’’ Yulong supremo Vin Cox said.

It all pays off for Via Sistina, who’s added another G1 to her name as she wins the Ranvet Stakes for her first win in Australia!@aus_turf_club@[e-mail]/oaTXtmse2u

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) March 23, 2024

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“Our ambition and hope is to have her first-up in the Winx Stakes (August 24) then we will plot a path to hopefully a Cox Plate.

“Chris has been down that path a few times so we won’t be questioning what course he takes with the mare but we are very excited and looking forward to what lays ahead with her.’’

Fangirl, winner of the Winx Stakes last year, is the early TAB Fixed Odds favourite to defend her title at $3.50 ahead of Pride Of Jenni at $4.50 then Via Sistina and Celestial Legend at $6.

Waller also often uses the Group 1 $5 million King Charles III (formerly George Main) Stakes at Royal Randwick over 1600m for his Cox Plate contenders – Winx also won that double in 2016-17-18 – but those races are only a week apart in October this year.

The Ciaron Maher-trained Pride Of Jenni is the early King Charles III Stakes favourite at $3.50 ahead of Fangirl at $4.50 then Celestial Legend at $6 and Via Sistina at $8.

Yulong also has ambitious spring carnival plans for Place Du Carrousel, another former European Group 1-winning mare.

Trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman, Place Du Carrousel also had a two-start Sydney autumn campaign, providing Yulong with the Ranvet Stakes quinella with her second placing to Via Sistina before finishing seventh in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

“We feel Place Du Carrousel could be a very nice Cups prospect and that is the path she will be on,’’ Cox said.

“She is still in Queensland sort of going through the motions, we haven’t got serious with her yet. What her first start is we are still a little way off deciding but she’s a very good mare.’’

“This is a demolition job!”

Pride Of Jenni runs her rivals ragged with a fantastic front-running ride by @decbates to win the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes! Via Sistina ran on into second and Mr Brightside finished third. @[e-mail]/tNf2yqaGjl

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) April 13, 2024

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Yulong race a number of very talented rising three-year-olds, most notably boom, unbeaten filly Clean Energy.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Clean Energy, a $2.6 million Easter Yearling Sale purchase and a full sister to the outstanding Sunlight, was a brilliant winner of her only two starts during her juvenile season including a stakes race at Doomben in May.

“Clean Energy is still spelling but will be back at Gai and Adrian’s in the next couple of weeks,’’ Cox said.

“We will see her later into the spring. The Flight Stakes may come a little quick for her but races like that are obvious targets for a three-year-old filly.’’

⚜️ 2YO filly Clean Energy (Zoustar x Solar Charged) makes the perfect start to her career with an impressive debut win in the Yulong green for @GaiWaterhouse1 and Adrian Bott @aus_turf_club Warwick Farm. #aworldofopportunitypic.twitter.com/5Kep8QjOPl

— Yulong Investments (@YulongInvest) May 8, 2024

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Yulong is in the ownership of some very promising, rising three-year-old colts including Straight Charge, Shangri La Express, Emirate and Growing Empire.

There is speculation those colts are vying for Yulong’s slot in the $20 million The Everest but Cox said it was way too early in the year to consider making that call.

“We are a long way from making a decision about our Everest slot,’’ Cox said.

“It has always intrigued me when I was at Godolphin, why worry about it (Everest slot) now?

“It’s like we have a fair number of three-year-olds circled for the Coolmore Stud Stakes this spring but we will wait and see what we end up with.

“You start the spring with a lot of hope and aspiration and sometimes you end up looking for a class 3 at Wangaratta!”

BETTING – $1 million Winx Stakes (1400m)
Royal Randwick, August 24
$3.50 Fangirl
$4.50 Pride Of Jenni
$6 Celestial Legend, Via Sistina
$11 Amelia’s Jewel
$15 Atishu, Espiona, Joliestar, Lady Laguna, Pericles, Riff Rocket, Semana, Zougotcah
$26 and longer the rest
Market: TAB Fixed Odds

Originally published as Chris Waller’s Group 1-winning mares Via Sistina, Fangirl on Winx Stakes collision course