Chris Waller’s superstar mare Via Sistina has etched her name among the greats, holding off stablemate Buckaroo to win the final Cox Plate before Moonee Valley’s major redevelopment.
It was back-to-back triumphs for the $2.25 favourite, who had smashed the track record in last year’s edition. This time, she showed grit to prevail by a half-head over Buckaroo ($16), with Treasurethe Moment ($5.50) a further 1½ lengths away.
“It was a great race. A classic Cox Plate,” Waller said. “James had to get going early… She was great and Buckaroo, he’s run out of his skin.”
The win gave jockey James McDonald his fourth straight Cox Plate and Waller his sixth overall, equalling Jack Holt’s record.
An emotional McDonald said, “I’m so proud of her… She deserves to be in the same breath as Sunline and those sort of horses with two Cox Plates.”
Next year, the Cox Plate moves to Flemington while The Valley undergoes redevelopment.