Via Sistina, Ceolwulf and Fangirl among all-star Apollo Stakes nominations

The Apollo Stakes entries oozes star power including Cox Plate champion Via Sistina, emerging superstar Ceolwulf, and last year’s winner Fangirl.

Ceolwulf, Via Sistina and Fangirl are set to resume in the Apollo Stakes at Randwick on Saturday. Pictures: Getty Images

There’s nine individual Group 1 winners of 19 majors and more than $40m prizemoney – and that’s just one race!

The $300,000 Apollo Stakes (1400m), a Group 1 in everything but name only, has attracted a stellar entry for the weight-for-age race at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

The likely line-up includes five nominations from the Chris Waller stable featuring Via Sistina, winner of the Cox Plate and Champion Stakes among four Group 1 races last spring and the early favourite for Horse of the Year honours this season.

Her stablemate, Fangirl, contests her third successive Apollo Stakes after finishing third to Anamoe in 2023 before winning the race brilliantly last year.

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In fact, Fangirl will be racing at this meeting for the fourth year in a row after winning the 2022 Light Fingers Stakes.

Waller has also entered Atishu, Lindermann and Joliestar as he chases a seventh Apollo Stakes win to equal the training record held by Gai Waterhouse.

But among the Waller quintet’s rivals are Ceolwulf, the Joe Pride-trained four-year-old who won the Group 1 Randwick 1600m double of the Epsom Handicap and King Charles III Stakes last spring.

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Pride took Ceolwulf to the Randwick races last Saturday but only for a day out with the four-year-old gelding remaining in his race-day stall while the likes of Via Sistina, Fangirl and Atishu had exhibition gallops between races.

Ceolwulf wins the first trial at Warwick Farm comfortably ahead of Via Sistina & Fangirl 👏 pic.twitter.com/T6oALU1NvY

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) January 29, 2025

“I didn’t want to give Ceolwulf a gallop, he did his work Saturday morning at home (Warwick Farm), but it was getting him to experience that race-day atmosphere again,’’ Pride said.

“He’s had two barrier trials and is ready to go for the Apollo. I’m excited to see what he can do this autumn.’’

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Ceolwulf defeated Via Sistina and Fangirl in a Warwick Farm barrier trial over 1000m two weeks ago and is on the second line of early TAB betting for the Apollo Stakes behind $2.80 favourite Via Sistina.

Fangirl ($4) and Joliestar ($6) are the only other entries under double-figure odds although the latter is expected to line up in the Group 2 $300,000 Expressway Stakes (1200m).

EXHIBITION GALLOPS: Several big names stretch their legs at Randwick ahead of their autumn campaigns - @cwallerracing stars Via Sistina, Fangirl, Atishu, Declichy Boulevard, Lady Shenandoah plus @godolphin's Broadsiding and Golden Mile. @tabcomaupic.twitter.com/JE56wLbbX8

— Racing NSW (@racing_nsw) February 8, 2025

Joliestar, who is dynamic fresh, is the $2.80 favourite to score a first-up win in the Expressway ahead of Magic Time ($3.50) and Olentia ($4.50).

Sydney’s premier trainer also has a strong hand in the Group 2 $300,000 Light Fingers Stakes (1200m) with Lady Shenandoah, Declichy Boulevard, Amelita and Lazzura.

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Lady Of Camelot, winner of the Golden Slipper last year, is the early Light Fingers favourite at $3.50 with Waller’s Flight Stakes heroine Lady Shenandoah, who has been trialling sensationally, pressing at $4.

Waller’s crack colt Switzerland, winner of the Coolmore Stud Stakes last spring, resumes in the Group 1 $1m Black Caviar Lightning (1000m) at Flemington.

Switzerland is early favourite at $3 to give Waller his third Lightning in four years after his successes with champion sprinter Nature Strip (2021) and Home Affairs (2022).

The three-year-olds dominate early Lightning betting with Growing Empire ($3.50) and Traffic Warden ($6) on the second and third lines while another promising young sprinter, Espionage is at $11.

Originally published as Via Sistina, Ceolwulf and Fangirl among all-star Apollo Stakes nominations