Former European mare Via Sistina has already provided a taste of her talents in Australia, and her stable is seeing all the right physical signs to suggest there is more to come.
A devastating winner of the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m) at her Sydney debut in the autumn, the high-class galloper will kick off her latest Australian campaign in Saturday’s Winx Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
While many imports improve at their second local preparations, others take longer to acclimatise, especially fillies and mares.
However, trainer Chris Waller has been pleased to see Via Sistina make an immediate adjustment, as evidenced by her spring coat.
“She looks like an Australian horse, she is seasoning the right way,” Waller said.
“She looks like she is coming into our spring, where sometimes they look like they could be in their summer now and just about going off into their autumn.
“I have been very happy with that because it’s a serious sign, especially for a filly.
“We have about ninety per cent colts, ten per cent fillies with imports, and fillies usually take longer, but she seems to be bucking that trend.”
Trained in England by George Boughey, the Yulong Investments-owned Via Sistina arrived fresh off the plane in the autumn with Waller keen to follow the template of wily horseman William Haggas, who had enjoyed great success travelling the likes of Addeybb and Dubai Honour.
This time around, he is starting off with the mare from scratch.
‘It might be harder,” Waller quipped.
“I chose to keep her in the UK to properly prepare her for the autumn because I’ve had quite a few horses from overseas and they’re not easy to get into the local scene.
“We chose to bring her out late and it worked well.”
Via Sistina has only competed over less than a mile once, finishing third in a 1400m fillies and mares maiden at her race debut.
That is the same journey as Saturday’s Winx Stakes at Randwick, and while it is short of her favourite trip, Waller expects class to carry her a long way.
“That class is pretty evident,” Waller said.
“We’ve seen a glimpse of it, and if she can take the next step like a lot of European horses to improve at their second prep, we could be in for some fireworks.”
