Via Sistina Headlines Randwick’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes
Champion jockey James McDonald sees the inside lane as a significant advantage to Via Sistina in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (G1) at Randwick Racecourse April 12, as the Chris Waller-trained mare chases a remarkable seventh group 1 for the season.
“I’m pretty happy with it to be fair, it’s a huge advantage drawing in on the 2,000-meter start at Randwick,” McDonald told Sky Sports Radio. “It’s straight onto a corner. We’re going to be conserving energy pretty quickly. She drew 1 in the Ranvet and it was no problem, so I’m happy.”
Via Sistina was upstaged by Pride Of Jenni in last year’s edition of the AU$5 million showpiece at her second Australian start for owner Yulong Investments. With more acclimatization and three runs this autumn delivering two group 1 wins, McDonald believes the spring’s scintillating Cox Plate (G1) winner is on the precipice of another peak performance Saturday.
“We’re expecting a peak performance here,” he said. “Her peak performance was pretty special in the Cox Plate, so we’re expecting her to burst when we want her to.”
Waller has also entered Yulong-owned Full Count Felicia in the 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) event. Winner of the 2024 E. P. Taylor Stakes (G1T) at Woodbine, Full Count Felicia finished fourth, beaten five lengths, last out behind stablemate Via Sistina in the Ranvet Stakes (G1) March 22 at Rosehill Gardens. That was the first Australian start for the War Front mare after she was purchased at Fasig-Tipton’s 2024 The November Sale for $1 million.
International Runners Draw Outside
International pair Dubai Honour and Rousham Park have both drawn wide for Saturday’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes. The last-start Tancred Stakes (G1) winner Dubai Honour will depart from barrier 13 in the field of 15 for William Haggas and Tom Marquand, while the Japanese grade 2 winner will jump beside him from gate 12 for Hiroyasu Tanaka and Christophe Lemaire.
After three group 1 wins in Sydney, Dubai Honour is the only other Queen Elizabeth contender at single-figure odds (AU$5.50) behind AU$1.70 favorite Via Sistina.
“(Dubai Honour’s) in really good form and he was pretty fresh going into (last) Tuesday and he’s come bouncing out of the race,” Haggas’ stable representative Issy Paul said. “Hopefully that will leave us in the best possible position. I’ve obviously done a terrible job at the barrier draw, but it’s one of the things you can’t control, that and the weather, but there’s a bit of rain about which should work in our favor.”
Meanwhile, Rousham Park, who finished a neck second behind Rebel’s Romance in the Breeders’ Cup Turf (G1T) last November at Del Mar, is rated a AU$21 chance to gain his first elite-level win.
Rousham Park (outside) comes up a neck short to Rebel’s Romance in the 2024 Breeders’ Cup Turf at Del Mar
Leading international rider Christophe Lemaire is confident that Rousham Park is a live contender in the Queen Elizabeth despite drawing wide. Lemaire, who won the Melbourne Cup (G1) aboard Dunaden in 2011, believes the 6-year-old will have little trouble navigating the circuit from barrier 12.
“He’s a very consistent and genuine horse,” he told Racing.com. “He’s not very quick out of the gates so he’ll usually race from the middle or back of the field. I think he can adapt himself anywhere. I’m quite happy with that outside draw because he’s got a big stride, he likes to have some space to accelerate, and from the middle of the pace on the outside I’m sure he can show his class.”
Lemaire added that despite his excellent effort in the Breeders Cup Turf over 2,400 meters (about 1 1/2 miles), the six-time winner is better suited to Saturday’s trip. “He’s more comfortable over a mile and a quarter than a mile and a half,” he said. “He travels very well. It will be more difficult for him compared to the horses based here but he’s a group 1-level horse and I think it is a nice opportunity to perform abroad again like he did at Del Mar.”
Ceolwulf Looks to Return to Form
Ceolwulf is out to prove he can mix it with the best middle-distance horses in Australia Saturday when he lines up in the Queen Elizabeth. A dual group 1 winner in the spring, Ceolwulf’s autumn campaign was interrupted when a minor injury caused him to miss the Verry Elleegant Stakes (G1). He was out of his comfort zone in his next two starts over unsuitable distances, and had to work hard to win the Neville Sellwood Stakes (G2) last start. While the performance was devoid of the dominance many expected, trainer Joe Pride later admitted the gelding needed the run.
Ceolwulf wins the 2024 King Charles Stakes at Randwick Racecourse
“There’s been a lot said about his run,” he said. “It normally is a combination of things, there’s not normally one answer to any question in racing. We got a heavy track, had him going up 500 meters, a very slowly run race, and a big weight. It wasn’t one of his best performances, but I think it was the run he needed at 2,000 meters to bring him right on and that’s what it looks like it’s done. He’ll run really well on Saturday.”
Pride remains hopeful Ceolwulf can be as effective over 2,000 meters at group 1 level as he has been over a mile. “We’ll find out on Saturday,” he said. “It was just like a launching pad, the run at 2,000 meters (in the spring), and I think this will be the same. The difference between a 1,000-meter horse and 1,200-meter horse is massive, but a mile to 2,000 meters is not that same kind of hurdle.”
