3 minute read

Trainer and jockey quotes after the Group 1 TAB Champions Stakes at Flemington on Saturday taken out by Via Sistina.

Race Result:

1st: Via Sistina (C Waller/J McDonald) - $1.60F
2nd: Atishu (C Waller/J McNeil) - $8
3rd: Without A Fight (A & S Freedman/M Zahra) - $13

Winning Time: 2:01.86 Last 600m: 3x.xx

Margins: 2-3/4 x 2L

Winning Trainer: Chris Waller

FROM NINE

Putting the win into words: "It was very special. Winning the Cox Plate the way she did, I think caught everyone by surprise. And then the pressure to back her up and go one more run. We spoke about sport analogies and having another game after a Grand Final and we were thinking about it constantly. But she's a very, very special horse, obviously. Don't underestimate how hard these horses work, so we could see that. We just backed off in the last two weeks and gave her a good time, and it worked.

"We've got a great team around Australia who just do amazing things with horses that they love. Yeah, she captured the imagination with the Tuesday morning workout (at The Valley before the Cox Plate), backed up with an impressive track record winning run in the Cox Plate. And then there was the temptation to run in a Melbourne Cup, but I think the Melbourne Cup is a good enough story without us.

Group 1 quinella: "We've got a good team. Atishu, she was brave. She won the race last year and I feel for her, but she got a Group One last Saturday. They can chat tonight, they're actually right next to each other in their stables."

Gave the people what they wanted with Via Sistina winning: "It was great to see. It's been an amazing week. The VRC are doing a great job, just continuing to evolve and making sure they've got what the people want, and that's good horses racing more often." 

On racing.com

There will never be another dot, dot, dot, (Winx) but can you believe one like this has come around so quickly?: "Very special to get the opportunity to train a horse with European form lines like she had was pretty special. She did it first-up in a Ranvet and announced herself, and she's just done it consistently since, over 1400 (metres) and then coming out and winning a Turnbull and Cox Plates and then the McKinnon (Champions) Stakes. It's a pretty special horse, so I'm appreciative for getting her to train. It's great to see the international form lines coming together."

How have you enjoyed the challenge?: "I think just confidence was the key. We haven't been able to over-train her. She trained herself one morning and then it's just been looking after the horse and reading her body language and making sure she's happy, and we've got a happy horse."

What beckons for 2025 for her?: "I might take her back to England. No, I' ll talk to Mr. Zhang and his family and, wherever she goes, it's a bonus really, with what she's done this year. Give her a spell now and, I guess, look at a Queen Elizabeth."

What of Atishu who' s made the first week of November almost her own for the last three years?: "She's done us proud, as simple as that. She's run second to one of the highest rated horses in the world."

Winning Jockey: James McDonald

FROM NINE

On the win: "I reckon you could have ridden this one, Bill (to Billy Slater).

"Mate, that was awesome. Everything just went beautifully to plan. I had the horse to really give me a smooth ride. 600m, 400m, I was just like changing gears and she just went."

Where can she get to?: 7yo but lightly raced: "Exactly, she's lightly raced. She's just coming into her own. And like I said during the week, she just thrives on work. It's great for the whole team there. Chris and his team have done an incredible job. It always comes with risk, running a horse after a Cox Plate like she did."

Equals his best Melbourne Cup carnival with 10 wins: "I've got one to go. I'm going to make it 11.

"I ride for some brilliant trainers, I get on the best horses and I'm lucky to be able to drive them, basically. I steer them around a white rail and hope for the best, and they do the rest.

"She deserves it (round of applause from crowd)."

On racing.com

How did that compare in regards to how it unfolded a two weeks ago?: "It's been an enjoyable ride. How you compare it, felt pretty good today. She was never in doubt. The nice building pace suited her. She just keeps going to a new level. She enjoys her work and the work as she loves it and she puts that into her race as well. She's very good and today was an absolute joy and pleasure and I had so much fun on her. Her performance speaks for itself."

Her powers of recovery, how does a horse like her endure what she's had to deal with in the past 20 days?: "That speaks volumes of her ability, her demeanour, just the way she enjoys it. She just gives you so much confidence as a rider. She's come a long way since she first came off the plane. She's got a little bit more tactical speed, which is always good to have, ut she just seems to be just thriving and she loves the fast ground. I know she was pegged as a wet track coming down here. Horses with a turn of foot like that, they love that surface."

What are the other things you think she' s really developed?: "I' m not really sure. I think she's just coped with it. She enjoys how Chris trains her. George, who trained her up in Europe, gave everyone a huge amount of confidence of what she was like. He was very forthcoming with that. So she's just adapted to Australian life pretty good as it's hard not to."

Can you believe at the same time you've got two incredible weight-for-age horses sitting in two different jurisdictions that you love?: "I'm glad he did' t come down this year and I'm looking forward to jumping on his back in seven days' time. He is my favourite racehorse and the association and the will to win he shows, she's got it as well. I' d hate them for them to clash and I'm glad she's staying here."

Beaten Jockeys:

Mark Zahra (Without A Fight): "Wen super. COuldn't be happier with a return like that. Followed Via Sistina, was a good solid run race but I was able to quick up behind her for most of the straight and then she left him late. He'll benefit from that and I think he'll be very hard to beat in Hong Kong in that race."

Harry Coffey (Duke De Sessa): "He wasn't the same today but maybe the track was a bit fast for him. Obviously likes when it is a bit softer but maybe today the surface (and) after a peak performance the other day may have brought him undone."

Ben Melham (Arapaho): "He ran terrific. Just the draw was of no favour to him. If he does draw a gate and you take the winner out he is right in the finish."

Michael Dee (Nugget): "Travelled very strongly in the run and probably didn't see out the 2000 (metres)."

Dylan Browne Mcmonagle (Future History): "Really good run. Definitely his career best. Plenty of good horses behind him. Really happy."

Nash Rawiller (Eliyass): "Honest as the day is long. Probably at the end of his prep."

Declan Bates (Docklands): "He's run really well. We were a bit slowly away which cost him his chance of maybe running a place. From where we were he really quickened up well but got tired inside the last 100 (metres) but ran a really good race."

Craig Williams (Royal Champion): "He gave me a beautiful ride from a wide draw. We got a lovely sweet spot but when I placed him under pressure he failed to respond to my riding."

Jye McNeil (Atishu): "She performed really well from a good draw and the winners was too good but I thought her performance was great."

Damian Lane (Deny Knowledge): "She tried hard. Always honest."