Yulong purchased two of the most expensive mares in the world last year paying 2.7million guineas for Via Sistina at the Tattersalls Mares Sale and €4,025,000 for Place du Carrousel at Arqana and they ran the quinella in the $1million ATC Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on Saturday at their first appearance in Australia.
A Group I winning daughter of Fastnet Rock, Via Sistina was given to Chris Waller and Place du Carrousel, also a Group I winner by Lope de Vega, was sent to Anthony and Sam Freedman.
Both mares produced their A game with Via Sistina charging home from last under James McDonald to win by more than a length over Place du Carrousel with another Fastnet Rock import Buckaroo (IRE) in third place ahead of the hometown favourite Think It Over.
“She’s got a big motor and dare I say it, I think she’ll improve off that,” said James McDonald.
Via Sistina won the Group I Pretty Polly Stakes at the Curragh last July and then placed at her next three starts in Group I races in France and the UK, so is all class.
“I’m just a small cog in a wheel that’s all I am,” said Chris Waller.
“She’s a very good horse that has been well trained in her career and is lightly raced and was smartly purchased by Yulong.
“She’s been prepared in England by James Ferguson and her previous trainer George Boughey has given us insight as well so there has been a lot of people involved.”
Now favourite for the $5million Group I ATC Queen Elizabeth Stakes on April 13, Via Sistina is a fascinating horse as she is the original ugly duckling that grew into a swan.
Her original owners Stephen and Becky Hillen purchased her as a yearling for 5,000 guineas at the Tattersalls December Sale and they were over the moon when she sold at the Tattersalls December Mares Sale last year fetching 2.7million guineas to be the second highest priced mare at the sale.
You can bet the Hillen’s have been staying up tonight in the UK to watch their girl win another Group I!
Via Sistina has the overall record of six wins and five placings from 14 starts and is the best of four winners from Nigh, an unraced half-sister by Galileo to dual Group I winning sprinter Kingsgate Native.
