Chris Waller‘s exceptional import, Via Sistina, etched her name further into racing folklore, equalling the legendary Winx’s remarkable record of seven Group 1 victories in a single season with a dominant performance in Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes 2025 at Royal Randwick.

The outstanding daughter of Fastnet Rock ($2F) delivered a third consecutive elite-level victory in Sydney, much to the delight of punters, in another stellar edition of the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) on Day 2 of The Championships.

“She just keeps turning up every week, I’d like to have a few more like her,” Waller told Sky Thoroughbred Central. “And we have, we’ve got a great team, but she just shows the difference between a good horse and a champion.”

Having finished runner-up to the tearaway leader Pride Of Jenni in the same race last year, the now seven-year-old mare went one better, solidifying her status as one of the all-time greats with a decisive 1.75-length victory over William Haggas’s UK raider, Dubai Honour.

“Look, she missed in this race last year, but we just miscalculated and full credit to Pride Of Jenni, Declan Bates and Ciaron,” Waller admitted. “They won the race, they pulled our pants down. It was a tough, tough day that day. But, hey, I shouldn’t be crying.”

Previously undefeated in Australia following his Tancred Stakes triumph, Dubai Honour ($3.50) ran bravely but ultimately had to settle for second place behind Waller’s remarkable mare, who now boasts nine Group 1 wins.

Master jockey James McDonald displayed his trademark composure aboard Via Sistina, who settled just outside the leading pack around the turn before being momentarily forced back to the inside in the home straight.

With 200m remaining, McDonald expertly navigated Via Sistina through the field, setting her sights on stablemate Lindermann ($15), who had set a solid pace upfront. Via Sistina surged to the lead inside the final 100m, drawing clear with authority to secure a stylish victory.

“I’m thinking that we were saving ground, it was an economical run, we had the right man aboard,” Waller said, praising his jockey. “James has continued to mature and not panic, that’s the key to winning these big races. The big jockeys win them all the time, to have one of them on your horse’s back is a big plus for your team.”

Godolphin’s Tom Kitten ($11) finished third after backing up quickly from a seventh-place finish in the Doncaster Mile the previous week, while Waller also secured fourth place with his underrated galloper Lindermann, who ran a commendable race after his front-running effort.

“Chris just trains her up beautifully every time, he did it for a Cox Plate, he’s done it for the Queen Elizabeth,” winning jockey McDonald said, acknowledging Waller’s training prowess. “You could poke holes in her performances coming into today because she hasn’t been winning by big margins, but that’s the type of horse she is now, she only does what she has to.

“She felt like she was going to rip away and then at the furlong she’s just doing enough. Very good horse There was one little worrying moment, I thought the one I was following was going to kick for a gap and he just didn’t go for it, and I ended up back off him, but she was superior, once I got those gaps, she sliced through and went bang.”

Via Sistina entered the Queen Elizabeth Stakes off a similarly comfortable victory over Lindermann in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) and proved the dominant favourite fourth-up, completing the Ranvet Stakes-Queen Elizabeth Stakes double last achieved by Dubai Honour in 2023.

“She’s a big, big horse and she’s quite scary really, we don’t ask her too much at home, we just hold it together and know that it’s their raceday,” Waller revealed about his star mare’s training regime. “You’re looking for them to sprint, and when she sprints, the acceleration is there. We’re still getting to know her, it’s as simple as that and she’s well into her twilight years. It’s scary, really, how good she is.”

Looking ahead, all roads now lead to a title defence in the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 25 for Via Sistina.

She is already the $3 favourite in early pre-nomination 2025 Cox Plate betting odds at Ladbrokes, highlighting the immense anticipation surrounding her spring campaign.

2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes Results

Table Credit: Racing Australia.

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