Via Sistina restores faith with Group 1 Turnbull Stakes victory at Flemington

Via Sistina bounced back from her Makybe Diva Stakes disappointment to win the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington and re-emerge as a Cox Plate threat.

Via Sistina and Damian Lane (green and white silks) charge home to beat stablemate Buckaroo in the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington. Picture: Pat Scala/Racing Photos via Getty Images

The real Via Sistina stood up in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on Saturday and re-emerge as a serious Cox Plate threat.

A cool ride from Damian Lane set up the win over Chris Waller-trained stablemate Buckaroo while favourite Eliyass held third from the gallant Duke De Sessa in front of 14,854 racegoers.

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Waller has won six of the past 10 Turnbull Stakes and saddled the first two past the post for the fourth time remarkably.

He trained the Turnbull trifecta in 2020 when Verry Elleegant bounced back from a Group 1 defeat in Sydney as favourite to win at Flemington from Toffee Tongue and Finche.

Dual hemisphere Group 1 winner Via Sistina channelled Verry Elleegant and rebounded from a plain Makybe Diva Stakes run to claim a third top class success in Australia for Waller.

Waller’s assistant Charlie Duckworth lauded the performance.

VIA SISTINA BACK TO HER BEST! 🔥

CHRIS WALLER QUINELLAS THE TURNBULL STAKES!@cwallerracing@[e-mail]/6sKXhFjLvD

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 5, 2024

• What the jockeys said: Turnbull Stakes

“Her run last start was so far away from her true form that you could do nothing else other than put a pen through it,” Duckworth said.

“We were confident that she would bounce back today and she was tough.

“Buckaroo is the man on the scene at the moment. He was going for three wins in a row and he’s dug deep and still been narrowly denied. So fantastic for the whole team.”

Group 1 Underwood Stakes winner Buckaroo will be considered for the Caulfield Cup on October 19 or alternatively a rematch with Via Sistina in the Cox Plate.

Lane handled the Via Sistina like the best horse in the field and duly saluted.

“She obviously was the class horse in the field and I rode her accordingly, albeit I still think she didn’t love the ground,” Lane said.

“It wasn’t as testing as last time out, so I think she can improve again under firmer footing.

“She’s just got a really big stride in her, she just lengthens I’d say.

“She just picks up and sustains a really good gallop more than lets rip. Buckaroo headed her and she was just really solid through the line.”

Assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth and jockey Damian Lane with the Turnbull Stakes trophy. Picture: Vince Caligiuri/Getty Images

Lane, committed to Japanese star Prognosis in the Cox Plate, would be available to ride Via Sistina in a Caulfield Cup if she went in that direction.

Verry Elleegant won the Caulfield Cup in 2020 after the Turnbull Stakes.

“If she goes straight to a Cox Plate, maybe I can’t, but we’ll see,” Lane said.

“I’m sure J-Mac (James McDonald) and K-Mac (Kerrin McEvoy) have got their hands up already, so yeah we’ll see where she goes and work it out from there.”

Eliyass gripped on well late for third and importantly passed the first ballot clause for the Melbourne Cup.

Jockey Ethan Brown said the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained galloper would be better for the run at Flemington.

“He’s proved that he’s up to this grade,” Brown said.

“Probably chased a bit far from home … probably blown out of touch with the gap between runs … he’s a very smart horse going forward.”

Caulfield Cup favourite Warmonger finished midfield under jockey Michael Dee.

“Definitely would have liked to see him hit the line a bit better than what he did today,” Dee said.

“So just see how he pulls up. May be looking for 2400 (metres) already.”

Originally published as Via Sistina restores faith with Group 1 Turnbull Stakes victory at Flemington