A recap of Saturday's Group 1 races in Australia reveals thrilling performances across the board. Via Sistina continued her outstanding season on October 5 at Flemington, launching a powerful stretch rally under jockey Damian Lane to edge stablemate Buckaroo and capture the Turnbull Stakes (G1).
Trainer Chris Waller celebrated a 1-2 finish in the AU$500,000 (US$341,100) contest, a 2,000-meter (approximately 1 1/4-mile) race for 4-year-olds and older. Eliyass, a 5-year-old French-bred gelding by La Havre and a two-time Group 3 winner, finished third.
This victory marks Via Sistina's third Group 1 win since March 23. Owned by Yu Long Investments, the 6-year-old mare previously secured wins in the Ranvet Stakes (G1) and the Winx Stakes (G1) earlier this year. Buckaroo, a 5-year-old gelding, was last year’s highweight older horse in Ireland. Both horses are sired by Fastnet Rock.
Via Sistina is one of two winners from the unraced Galileo mare Nigh and is now being aimed at two of Australia’s marquee races: the Caulfield Cup (G1) on October 19 and the Melbourne Cup (G1) on November 5.
Elsewhere, Ceolwulf surged on the outside to claim victory in the 1,600-meter (about one-mile) Epsom Handicap (G1) at Randwick Racecourse. This marks the first stakes win for the New Zealand-bred 4-year-old Tavistock gelding, who finished second in this year’s Australian Derby (G1). Ceolwulf is the first starter for the unraced Shamardal mare Las Brisas. Guided by jockey Chad Schofield, Ceolwulf was followed by Group 1 winner Tom Kitten in second and two-time Group 2 winner Royal Patronage in third.
In the 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) Metropolitan Handicap (G1) at Randwick, Land Legend narrowly beat Zardozi in a dramatic finish, surviving a stewards’ inquiry after the two horses bumped in the stretch. Trained by Chris Waller and ridden by Reese Jones, the 4-year-old Galileo gelding earned his first stakes win after a sixth-place finish in a Group 3 race on September 21.
The final Group 1 race at Randwick saw Lady Shenandoah dominate her rivals in the AU$750,000 (US$510,000) Flight Stakes (G1). Making her Group 1 debut, the 3-year-old daughter of Snitzel, ridden by Zac Lloyd, impressed over 1,600 meters. Lloyd expressed his admiration for the filly, who had previously won a Group 3 race in mid-September at Rosehill Gardens. Harlem Queen and Snow In May finished second and third, respectively, each earning their first Group 1 placing.