Via Sistina was named the Australian Horse of the Year for the 2024–2025 racing season. The award was officially announced on August 31, 2025. Recent performance reports describe her as “flying,” attributed to her trainer, Chris Waller, who used it to describe her peak condition before her win in the Cox Plate on October 25, 2025. Waller made the comment despite the mare’s less-than-dominant results in her two prior starts. The win made her the first eight-year-old mare to claim the Cox Plate and only the fifth mare to win it multiple times.
At eight years old, Via Sistina is at a pivotal point in her career, when discussions about retirement often arise, especially since many elite mares have been retired at younger ages. However, her impressive back-to-back victories in the Group 1 Cox Plate in both 2024 and 2025 clearly demonstrate that she remains a formidable competitor, showcasing exceptional speed, stamina, and racing sense. As it stands, Via Sistina holds the title of the most successful older mare in recent Australian racing history. Via Sistina, a remarkable mare in the world of Australian thoroughbred racing, shows no signs of retirement in the near future and is expected to race next in the Champions Stakes at Flemington Racecourse in Australia on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
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