Via Sistina
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| Via Sistina | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Fastnet Rock |
| Grandsire | Danehill |
| Dam | Nigh |
| Damsire | Galileo |
| Sex | Mare |
| Foaled | 27 March 2018 |
| Country | Ireland |
| Colour | Bay |
| Breeder | Laundry Cottage Stud Farm |
| Owner | Yulong Investments |
| Trainer | George Boughey (2021-2023) Chris Waller (2024 onwards) |
| Record | 29: 16-4-5 |
| Earnings | A$19,402,488[1] |
| Major wins | |
| Prix Fille de l'Air (2022) Dahlia Stakes (2023) Pretty Polly Stakes (2023) Ranvet Stakes (2024, 2025) Winx Stakes (2024, 2025) Turnbull Stakes (2024) W.S. Cox Plate (2024, 2025) Champions Stakes (2024, 2025) Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2025) | |
| Awards | |
| Australian Champion Racehorse of the Year (2024/25) Australian Champion Middle Distance Racehorse (2024/25) Timeform rating: 132 | |
Via Sistina (foaled 27 March 2018) is a twelve-time Group 1 winning Irish bred Thoroughbred racehorse who is most notable for her victories in the 2024 and 2025 W.S. Cox Plate. She was retired after winning her second Champions Stakes in her last race.[2] After her victory in the 2024 W.S. Cox Plate, Via Sistina was awarded a Timeform rating of 132, the third highest ever given to a mare.[3] Additionally, Via Sistina earned a Longines rating of 127, which placed her third in the 2024 World's Best Racehorse Rankings.[4]
Via Sistina was sired out of Fastnet Rock, a champion racehorse whose best wins include the Lightning Stakes and the Oakleigh Plate. Fastnet Rock was a successful stallion siring 44 Group 1 winners including Avantage, Atlantic Jewel, Merchant Navy, and Fascinating Rock. Via Sistina's grandsire Danehill was also a prolific sire, as he was the leading sire in Australia nine times, the leading sire in Great Britain three times, and the leading sire in France twice.[5]
Via Sistina originally raced in the UK under trainer Joseph Tuite before switching to George Boughey. She found early success in Britain claiming five wins in thirteen starts before being sold in the Tattersalls December Mare Sale in 2023 to Yulong Studs to train under Chris Waller.[6] In 2024, Yulong Investments acquired Panthalassa, an international Group 1 race winner and one of the richest racehorses in the world.[7][8] In addition to running a successful thoroughbred enterprise, Yulong Investments also has a division focusing on premium Wagyu beef.[9] In 2022, Yulong Investments purchased a female Wagyu cow for A$400,000, a record high auction price.[10]