Records tumble as J-Mac, Via Sistina wow The Valley with sensational 2024 Cox Plate victory

James McDonald’s 75m-long victory salute in Saturday's crushing Cox Plate victory cost him $2000 … but it was a beautifully flamboyant way to release the week’s pent-up emotions.

The dramatic became the immaterial in the last 400m of the Cox Plate.

Media – racing, mainstream and social – were spellbound by the dramatic when James McDonald parted company with the Chris Waller-trained Via Sistina at trackwork on Tuesday morning.

‘Will she or won’t she run?’ was the question continually thrown at Waller as he graciously conducted multiple media interviews while vets went over Via Sistina following her three-lap riderless frolic at the Breakfast With The Best session.

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A decision to run Via Sistina was not a matter of vets clearing the mare of any issues, it was a massive decision.

Waller and her owners Yulong Investments needed to decide whether to race one of the most valuable mares in the world days after a trackwork hiccup.

Via Sistina was a Group 1-winning mare in Ireland that fetched 2.7 million guineas or $5.5 million in the Australian currency at a mares in training sale last December.

However, that value had surged after Waller had added another three Group 1 wins to her record in Australia, requiring no doubt in the seven-year-old’s fitness in all facets.

But Waller wove the magic that propelled him from nothing to become one of the world’s great trainers, rejuvenating Via Sistina so quickly that he had her back at The Valley on Thursday morning.

• ‘I thought our hopes were doomed’: J-Mac defies odds for epic Cox Plate win

Via Sistina moved so well on Thursday morning that her regular Sydney rider Chris Harwood said “it would be an injustice not to run” the mare.

Via Sistina’s rivals wished an injustice was done as James McDonald celebrated high in the irons while the Irish-bred seven-year-old cast her rivals eight lengths astern.

It’s amazing how sports stars can put aside such a mentally and emotionally tumultuous week when it’s time to perform.

Waller’s ability to continually conjure the best from horses, no matter the obstacles that appear, is a thing of wonder in a sport that can become a touch run-of-the-mill with racing on all but one day a year.

If he hadn’t already, McDonald inked his name as one of the greatest jockeys we’ve seen in Australia as he banked his 100th Group 1 win, joining Damien Oliver, George Moore and Hugh Bowman as the only riders to have reached a century of top level wins.

• What the jockeys said: 2024 Cox Plate

Oliver finished on 125. The 32-year-old McDonald will go past that number in the next three years at his current rate.

Finishing his career with 200 Group 1 wins is not a ridiculous proposition.

The stewards found it dangerous, fining McDonald $2000 for it, but the jockey’s 75m-long victory salute was a beautifully flamboyant way to release the week’s pent-up emotions.

It was the perfect salute at the perfect time in perfect conditions in front of the perfect audience.

Only the Cox Plate throng can give such an apt response to such a dominant display from horse, trainer and jockey.

"I thought our hopes were doomed."

James McDonald gets his 100th Group 1 in the Cox Plate. 💯 pic.twitter.com/7uSKSZoKsd

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) October 26, 2024

• ‘He’s a proper horse’: Baraqiel earns Group 1 shot with McEwen demolition

A sell-out crowd responded with due appreciation to one of the awesome Cox Plate wins.

Winx won by eight lengths, Sunline and Dulcify by seven lengths but Via Sistina covered the famous 2040 course faster than that trio in her eight-length win.

No horse has run a Cox Plate faster than the 2:01.07 that Via Sistina took to win the $5m event.

An adoring flock, resembling a poppy field with so many donning the red hats of race sponsor Ladbrokes, gave full voice to their admiration for The Valley’s latest Cox Plate heroine.

Nothing in Australian racing rivals the moments before a Cox Plate nor the hum, followed by the wave of noise from the amphitheatre pushing on the combatants at the end of a Cox Plate.

Sadly next year will be the great track’s last dance before redevelopment.

Racing can only hope progress doesn’t kill the Cox Plate magic.

Originally published as Records tumble as J-Mac, Via Sistina wow The Valley with sensational 2024 Cox Plate victory