Via Sistina has officially been withdrawn from this year’s Lexus Melbourne Cup, with the superstar mare now set to contest the Group 1 Champions Stakes.
After producing an emphatic win in the Cox Plate, the seven-year-old rocketed into outright favouritism for the Cup, with plenty of speculation around whether she would run.
Chris Waller told media on Tuesday that a decision had not been made, but the group behind the horse – Yulong Investments – has since revealed their plans.
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“We would desperately love to win a Melbourne Cup and we’ve probably got the best chance we’re ever going to have,” general manger Vin Cox told Racing.com on Wednesday.
Via Sistina races ahead of the field in the Cox Plate. Getty
“But at the end of the day, the ultimate goal wasn’t the Melbourne Cup, it was the Cox Plate.
“She peaked and peaked unbelievably highly. The rating tells you that because she’s now rated the number one horse in the world.
“The Melbourne Cup was then a bit of an afterthought, rather than the primary motivator and afterthoughts tend not to end well on a racetrack.
“We had to get our feet on the ground, take the emotion out of it and look at it analytically.”
Waller is still a fantastic chance of taking out his second Melbourne Cup, with star gelding Buckaroo among the leading chances for the 3200m event at Flemington.
Geelong Cup winner Onesmoothoperator, overseas raiders Vauban and Absurde and another one of Waller’s runners, Kovalica, remain near the top of the betting market.
The news of Via Sistina’s scratching comes just a day after import Jan Brueghel was deemed not fit to race by VRC stewards.