Saturday Preview: Can Via go back-to-back in the G1 Cox Plate?

Cover image courtesy of Sportpix

Can Via do it again?

Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock) was an emphatic eight-length winner of the 2024 edition of the G1 Cox Plate as a 7-year-old mare, and she returns this year as an 8-year-old to try and do it all over again.

Since her dominant win last year, she has gone on to claim the G1 Mackinnon Stakes, G1 Verry Elleegant Stakes, G1 Ranvet Stakes, G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes and G1 Winx Stakes.

Despite that remarkable record, the champion mare still finds herself under question from some quarters, having been placed behind Mr Brightside (NZ) (Bullbars) and Sir Delius (GB) (Frankel {GB}) in recent Group 1 contests where the race shape may not have suited. Still, you’d have to be brave to rule out the great mare from getting the job done again.

Champion trainer Chris Waller certainly has no doubts about where his mare is at, telling racing.com:

“She’s the same as last year,” Waller said.

“I know she hasn’t won in her last couple of runs, but the sectional times, if you break them down, I think she’s going as well.

“We just haven’t had the pressure in the races that we would have liked. Subsequently she hasn’t won, but she’s going very well.”

Waller did, however, express some concern about how the race might be run this year, particularly with the scratching of the natural front-runner Globe (NZ) (Charm Spirit {Ire}).

“She needs to make her own luck, her own sectional times,” Waller said.

“We’ll be riding our own race. It’s a Cox Plate. It’s her grand final - it’s like any sport, it brings out good competition.”

Her champion jockey James McDonald will be looking to secure his fourth win in the famous weight-for-age feature, which would place him alongside Glen Boss, Brent Thomson, Jack Purtell and Hugh Bowman as a four-time Cox Plate winner. It would also be his second triumph aboard Via Sistina, having partnered her to victory last year.

As always, the Cox Plate field brings together some of the nation’s best performers at weight-for-age. The toughest challengers to Via Sistina could well come from within her own stable, with Aeliana (Castelvecchio) in the mix, or from the ever-tough Antino (NZ) (Redwood {GB}), who looks primed to peak for trainer Tony Gollan and regular rider Blake Shinn.

Shangri La Boy eyes Group 1 glory in the Spring Champion

There is always extra pressure on a promising horse with a strong pedigree or a high-performing sibling - it adds expectations on the track and can enhance future stud appeal.

That is the case with Shangri La Boy (Pierro), trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott. He was purchased for $375,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale by his trainers and Kestrel Thoroughbreds. Just days later, his pedigree received a major boost when his half-brother Storm Boy demolished the field in the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic.

Storm Boy went on to win the G2 Skyline Stakes and G3 San Domenico Stakes, while also recording strong top-four finishes in the G1 Golden Slipper, G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes, G2 Run To The Rose, and G1 Golden Rose. He now stands at Coolmore Stud, serving his first crop of mares at $16,500 (inc GST).

While Storm Boy was more of a sprinter type, Shangri La Boy looks to have inherited more middle-distance ability from his sire Pierro, who is a great-grandson of Zabeel (NZ). His tough New Zealand family has plenty of mile form, including his seven-time Group 1-winning grandam Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {GB}), so there is expectation that 2000 metres in his age-group should be fine, especially as he is already a Group 3 winner over 1800 metres.

Co-trainer Adrian Bott believes the step up in distance will suit the colt as he tackles Group 1 level.

“He was excellent there last start in the Gloaming. He was up in grade relatively quickly and up in trip, but it seemed like a dominant performance,” Bott told Sky Racing.

“He’s come out of that in excellent shape. There’s still further improvement in him and he’ll continue to appreciate the 2,000 metres. He seems in terrific order.

“I think the trip will be okay. He seemed to run it strongly last start. He seems in great shape and has plenty of natural staying ability. It’s another test again - 2,000 metres at Randwick, so he’s going to have to keep improving, but he has done, and he keeps doing that.”

The $2 million G1 Spring Champion Stakes is a very open race. The biggest threats could come from the Godolphin-owned Attica (Lonhro), who looks to have plenty of class; Officiate (Justify {USA}), who should enjoy the step up in distance; and Master Of The Air, who has the pedigree to emulate his sire Dundeel (NZ), a past winner of the same race.

Do Godolphin already have a hand on the Vase?

The G2 Vase has long been regarded as a key lead-up to the G1 Victoria Derby, run over the same 2040-metre distance as the G1 Cox Plate. This year’s edition looks likely to be a small field following scratchings, but the two runners carrying the famous Godolphin royal blue appear to have a strong hold on proceedings.

Observer (Ghaiyyath {Ire}), trained by Ciaron Maher, and Options (Impending), prepared by the Caulfield Cup-winning father-and-son duo Tony and Calvin McEvoy, both look poised to feature prominently.

Options heads into the Vase on the back of an impressive win in the Listed Super Impose Stakes and was put through his paces alongside stablemate Sunlit Serenade (The Autumn Sun) during Tuesday’s 'Breakfast With The Stars' session at Moonee Valley.

Co-trainer Calvin McEvoy was pleased with the Options work when speaking to racing.com.

“They worked well. Options is quite a raw horse, and he needed a stronger piece of work than the filly (Sunlit Serenade). Ethan Brown, who rode Options, I just wanted him to up, join and quicken around the bend – we’re out wide here at Moonee Valley, they can get very lost, and he’s the sort of horse that would do that. But I loved when he knuckled down; he was strong through the line.”

Asked about the Derby path and the fact that both Godolphin runners may line up in the feature, McEvoy said it was a situation the stable was happy to navigate.

“From their (Godolphin’s) point of view, both horses are on a Derby path. They haven’t won a VRC Derby, so they were great. They’ve been a dream to train for. Andy Makiv and Jason (Walsh) said, ‘don’t change your plans for another horse, just stick to your plan.’ It’s a pretty good problem to have – to have two live chances heading towards a Derby.”

Trainer Ciaron Maher was also full of praise for Observer, who was luckless when finishing an excellent third in the G1 Caulfield Guineas last start.

“He bounced through his Guineas run, and I was sort of toying with the idea of the Cox Plate. But speaking to the Godolphin team, we’ve decided to go to the Vase and then onto the Derby,” Maher told racing.com.

“He sat behind West Of Swindon, and first time here, he just had a good look around and worked well. He wasn’t asked to break any records, just a nice building piece of work. I think the 2000m for him will be ideal – he’s a Ghaiyyath, they seem to really be hitting their straps here now, and he’s a lovely colt going forward.”

The biggest threat to a potential Godolphin domination could be the Henry Dwyer-trained Crack A Deel (Dundeel {NZ}), a colt bred to relish the trip. He’s already proven over the distance, having bolted in by four and a half lengths in a 2000-metre Warrnambool maiden late last month.

Lindermann looks to cash in again

The Chris Waller-trained and Woppitt Bloodstock-bred and raced Lindermann (Lonhro) has been in outstanding form this preparation, winning both the G2 Chelmsford Stakes and G2 Hill Stakes, and finishing a narrow second to Fangirl (Sebring) in the 7 Stakes from only four runs. That consistency has returned just over $1.52 million in prizemoney this spring alone.

A G1 Rosehill Guineas winner as a 3-year-old, Lindermann has now amassed more than $3.6 million in career earnings, underlining his quality, class and toughness.

It does, however, raise an interesting question - why is he contesting Saturday’s G3 Craven Plate at Randwick rather than the $6 million G1 Cox Plate, a race over a distance and track that should, and on paper, should suit his customary go-forward style?

Champion trainer Chris Waller explained the thinking behind the gelding’s placement to media earlier in the week.

“We chose to stick to Sydney, leave the Cox Plate alone and get him back on top,” Waller said.

“We’ll let him think he’s the top dog, and we can have a good look in the autumn and try and measure up in Ranvet's and Queen Elizabeth's if we desire.

“He’s won a Hill Stakes worth good money, he’s been running behind the right horses when he hasn’t been winning, and he’s ready to go Saturday.”

Lindermann clearly looks the horse to beat in the $750,000 G3 Craven Plate, which has attracted just six other runners. Among them, Maison Louis (NZ) (Super Seth) must be respected - the G1 Queensland Derby winner chased home Lindermann for a strong third in the G2 Hill Stakes, finding the line powerfully late.

Also worth consideration is El Castello (Castelvecchio), last year’s G1 Spring Champion Stakes winner over the same distance on the same day. He will appreciate the drop in grade and step up in distance after competing in Group 1 company at his past two starts.

Can Baker go back-to-back in The Invitation?

Trainer Bjorn Baker looks set for a strong chance in the $2 million The Invitation with dual Group 1 winner Stefi Magnetica (All Too Hard), who has had a slightly interrupted campaign, but trialled nicely last week at Rosehill behind Beiwacht (Bivouac).

Baker is aiming for back-to-back success, having trained the ex-Kiwi Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) to victory in last year’s edition. Unlike Belclare, Stefi Magnetica won’t be an upset, and Baker will be hoping her class shines through.

“I think she's got a good gate on Saturday, her work has been great and her trial was good, so we are happy with her,” Baker told media.

“It's a big race and we want to be competitive and right there, and we will definitely be there for her to try and run up to her best.

“I think she is well up to the mark and fit enough to run well. She performs well at the 1400m and she is going great.”

Her toughest rivals could come from Manaal (Tassort), who looks to make it a winning hat-trick for trainer Michael Freedman, and stablemate Monte Supreme (I Am Invincible), who has won three of her four starts for Baker, and he describes as a serious threat.

“A lovely big mare and came to us in good order, sound and well,” Baker said.

“She is exciting and has a great turn of foot, so we will ride her to finish off. If she has any sort of luck, she is definitely not out of it because she is a high-class mare.”