Via Sistina Looks To Be a Cut Above

We all know the result of the Ranvet Stakes (2000m), but what we now also know what The Ratings Bureau’s Dan O’Sullivan made of the high profile Sydney Autumn 2000m Group 1 on Saturday, a race where winning favourite Via Sistina was disadvantaged by a farcical pace. The Yulong-owned European Group 1 winner, also first up, jog-trotted in the Ranvet before rounding them up with ease in what could have been a 5-length triumph. As soon as the horses passed the post, one of Sky Racing’s commentary team used the prescient observation that it was akin to Commonwealth Games runners tackling Olympic Games class. At face value, the WFA rating by O'Sullivan – 101.8 according to racing.com – isn't awfully high. But there is an 'however' that cannot be overstated. Despite no speed in the race, the daughter of Fastnet Rock showed a glimpse of what is to come, with O'Sullivan revealing, "Her last 600m speed rating was scintillating, the second fastest in my database at 2000m at any track since 2016. Winx is the only horse to run a faster rating last 600m split, which came in her 2018 Turnbull Stakes win." He added, "There's no doubt that if there had been more pace in the race, she would have won by a much bigger margin. She's a 106 rated horse on the best of her overseas form, and off this performance, there's every reason to think she could reach that level here." Although local warrior Think It Over (So You Think) was far from disgraced – he was only beaten 1.6-lengths into fourth – the first three home, Via Sistina (Fastnet Rock), Place du Carrousel (Lope de Vega) and Buckaroo (Fastnet Rock) are all from Europe, as are the the fifth and sixth-placed Military Mission (Mastercraftsman) and Zeyrek (Sea The Stars). As custodians of a massive Black Type database that tracks every Australian Group and Listed race, it’s impossible to miss the utter domination of the northern hemisphere brigade – they have either won or placed 475 times in Australian stakes races since August 2020, and Via Sistina could prove to be amongst the best of them all. She is a $2.50 all-in quote for the Gr1 Queen Elizabeth where she is likely to start in the red.