Via Sistina

In the blink of an eye, that's another turf season in the books, which means that this is the final Seven Days column for 2024. Next week Adam Houghton will be starting a new column which aims to keep tabs on those two-year-olds who are rising three and could make more of a name for themselves next year. An eagle-eyed former Timeform employee, Adam guarantees that if the next Notable Speech (GB) is out there, about to make his debut on the all-weather this winter before marching on to Classic...

Trainer Harry Eustace says that he is eager for a rematch between his runner Docklands (GB) (Massaat {Ire}} and impressive Cox Plate winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}). Docklands was beaten 11 lengths when fifth in the Cox Plate late last month, with the ex-British runner Via Sistina chalking up a fourth Australian Group 1 success in style, beating runner-up Prognosis by eight lengths. Despite the margin of defeat, Eustace would prefer to clash again with Via Sistina in Saturday's Champions Stakes rather than drop back for the Champions...

While Saturday ushers in the new turf season in Britain, there are almost as many European horses nominated to run at Rosehill in Sydney that same day.  In the G1 Ranvet S., six of the seven runners were bred in either Britain, Ireland or France, and they include two seven-figure purchases made by Yulong Investments last December.  Group 1-winning mares Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}), who was bought for 2.7 million gns at Tattersalls, and Place Du Carrousel (Ire) (Lope De Vega {Ire}), a €4.025 million Arqana purchase, are...

By Brian Sheerin and Emma Berry NEWMARKET, UK - A Group 1 winner out of a Group 1 winner, by one of the world's best stallions and carrying a foal by the dual champion sire. As recipes go, it has all the ingredients necessary to make a special dish, and that is exactly what the Juddmonte team decided she was when buying Teona (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) from Rabbah Bloodstock for 4.5 million gns. Northern Farm, Charlie Gordon-Watson, Jill Lamb and Coolmore all made attempts on the five-year-old G1...

With the benefit of glorious hindsight it seems scarcely believable that Via Sistina (GB) could have been sold at the December Yearling Sale four years ago for just 5,000gns by her breeder Laundry Cottage Stud. One thing is certain: when the Group 1 winner returns to Tattersalls in a few weeks among the elite Sceptre Sessions of the December Mares' Sale, her price will have many more zeroes on the end. A big, scopey mare who took some time to fill her statuesque frame, the five-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock...

Group 1 winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) is the latest high-class runner to be added to the Tattersalls December Mares Sale.  Trained by George Boughey, the five-year-old landed the G1 Pretty Polly S. at the Curragh in the colours of Becky Hillen and is sure to add plenty of intrigue to the second edition of the Sceptre Sessions. Boughey commented, "Via Sistina has been a star for us, very easy to train and an ultra consistent mare who has shown to be very versatile. She won the Group...

Connections of Stay Alert (GB) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) have lodged an appeal against the decision of the Curragh stewards not to reverse the placings in Saturday's G1 Pretty Polly S. The Hughie Morrison-trained four-year-old was beaten two lengths by George Boughey's Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the 10-furlong contest, but the Jamie Spencer-ridden winner hampered a number of rivals in the closing stages. The interference occurred as the field approached the final furlong when Via Sistina hung right into the path of eventual fourth Rosscarbery, with jockey Billy...

George Boughey has pencilled the G1 Falmouth S. at Newmarket in for his Group 1 heroine Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) following her Pretty Polly S. romp at the Curragh on Saturday.  Stepping up to the highest level for the first time following a brilliant display in the Dahlia S. in May, Via Sistina ran out an authoritative winner of the Pretty Polly to provide her trainer with a first ever success on Irish soil in the hands of Jamie Spencer. Boughey says that his stable star deserves even...

Bloodstock agent Stephen Hillen has recalled how Sunday's G2 Dahlia S. winner Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) would not have won any beauty pageants as a yearling but revealed a certain amount of thinking outside of the box has led to him dreaming of big-race riches with the George Boughey-trained mare.  Via Sistina couldn't have been more impressive at Newmarket on Sunday. She travelled into the race like a dream under Jamie Spencer, a good friend of Hillen's, and won going away by six lengths without having to be...

Via Sistina (Ire) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) produced a career-best performance to win the G2 Howden Dahlia S. at Newmarket in a style that suggested there could be even bigger things to come from the gigantic five-year-old mare.  Trainer George Boughey revealed prior to the race that he does not have a bigger horse in his yard and that he had been praying for rain in the build-up to the Group 2 contest. Those prayers were answered, with Via Sistina sluicing through the soft ground under a statuesque Jamie Spencer, who,...