Chris Waller has continued his dominance of the Sydney Group 1s training the Verry Elleegant Stakes 2025 trifecta with the spring’s Ladbrokes Cox Plate champion, Via Sistina, saluting for the punters in a stunning return to the winners’ circle.

The brilliant Fastnet Rock mare resumed in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes at Randwick a fortnight back only to run third behind stablemates Fangirl and Lindermann.

The same three Group 1 winning gallopers filled the placings in Saturday’s Group 1 $1 million Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) with Via Sistina ($1.60F) on top for the punters in the 100th edition of the race.

She had 0.36 lengths to spare on the line over Waller’s Apollo Stakes winning mare Fangirl ($3.30) and the Apollo runner-up Lindermann ($11) third in the rematch.

Via Sistina led the field around the turn for home with Fangirl right on her back, and the two mighty mares battled it out in a thrilling finish with the eventual winning knuckling down in the final few strides to snare a brave victory.

“I knew it was going to be a battle of tactics, and James (McDonald, on Via Sistina) was concerned about the draw, in terms of where we would get to,” Waller told Sky Thoroughbred Central post-win.

“The track is racing pretty quick today and it’s hard to make up a lot of ground. So, the last 200m I was proud, simple as that.

“Unfortunately, there had to be a winner.”

It was the third straight year Fangirl had to settle for second in the former Chipping Norton Stakes race following her 2023 loss to Anamoe and 2024 second to Think It Over.

The return of champion hoop James McDonald, who earlier saluted for the stable aboard the filly Lady Shenandoah in the Group 1 Surround Stakes, aboard Via Sistina made all the difference after the seven-year-old was ridden by Kerrin McEvoy for her Apollo defeat.

He gave the odds-on fancy a perfectly timed ride in the Verry Elleegant Stakes to record the day’s Group 1 double for both him and Waller.

“It’s been a great story,” Waller said of Via Sistina’s journey.

“Twelve months ago, she wasn’t even in our lives, just a horse in quarantine and we were just starting getting to know her. And what’s happened in the past 12 months, it’s quite remarkable.

“As with Fangirl, she was here last year and then she went missing, and she couldn’t run in the George Ryder. And Lindermann has had a setback as well, so they’ve all come back and done us very proud.”

Waller has now prepared 11 winners overall in the Chipping Norton Stakes / Verry Elleegant Stakes including his four-peat with the mighty mare Winx (2016-19) and dual victories with the event’s now namesake, Verry Elleegant (2021-22), who sadly passed away last year.

“It’s a great thrill,” Waller said.

Waller said next-up options for Via Sistina included the Group 1 $1 million Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at Rosehill on March 22 where she could get the chance to defend her title on Golden Slipper Stakes Day or the Group 1 $1 million Geroge Ryder Stakes (1500m) on the same card with the aim of having her rock hard fit and ready for the Group 1 $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) back at Randwick on April 12.

“I’ll have a talk to the Yulong team,” Waller said.

“I’ll give them my plan and make sure that we’re peaking for the Queen Elizabeth.

“Whether we do that through the George Ryder or the Ranvet on the same day.

“Traditionally I would normally go to the George Ryder but with her I’d be more inclined to go to the Ranvet because I think she’s a better 2000m horse.

“She showed when she won the Cox Plate, that she actually ran three 2000m races.

“She won the Turnbull, the Cox Plate and then she won on the last day.

“So, she can sustain herself at 2000m, where Fangirl might just breathe a sigh of relief.”

Wherever she heads, Via Sistina has the vote of confidence from J-Mac.

“There’s no guarantees in racing, but she’s going to be awfully hard to beat, especially now that that second-up run is out of the way,” he said.

“We all know what she can do third and fourth-up, and her big one is fourth-up, so that’s when she won her Cox Plate.

“Hopefully she can get somewhere near that. She probably won’t ever get near that again but at least she can get somewhere near that.

“We know it’s probably not going to happen again, but all she’s got to do is run within a length or two, or even three, so I’m sure she’s come back in that sort of order.

“The way she won the Cox Plate was unbelievable, so we’re under no illusions she’s going to do that again. But we hope so.”

Updated all-in 2025 Queen Elizabeth Stakes odds online at Ladbrokes.com.au have Via Sistina as the firm $2 favourite.

2025 Verry Elleegant Stakes Results

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