Via Sistina, winner of 12 G1 races and one of the best mares in the world, has been retired

The daughter of Fastnet Rock, a two-time winner of the Cox Plate (G1), will now return to Great Britain and is set to be covered by Dubawi

Via Sistina showcased her immense talent across Great Britain and Australia / GOOGLE

SYDNEY, Australia (Special for Turf Diario).— One of the most brilliant stories in modern horse racing comes to a close. Via Sistina, Yulong’s extraordinary multiple G1 winner, has been officially retired from the track and will return to the United Kingdom. There, she will begin her new chapter as a broodmare, set to be covered by none other than Dubawi, one of the world’s most influential sires at Darley.

The news was confirmed this Sunday by her trainer, Chris Waller, putting the finishing touches on a simply exceptional campaign: 16 victories, 12 of them in G1 races, and accumulated earnings of over AU$ 19.4 million—figures that rank her among the most important mares in the recent history of Australian turf.

"Via Sistina performed consistently across several seasons and became a global talking point, not just within racing, but in sport in general," Waller expressed in an extensive statement. "We believe that after her second Cox Platevictory and her stunning win in the Champion Stakes, she didn't return to training with the usual energy that always characterized her."

Bred by Laundry Cottage Stud, Via Sistina represents one of those stories that ennoble the sport. She was purchased for just 5,000 guineas at the 2019 Tattersalls December Yearling Sale. In her early days, she won five races in Great Britain under the care of Joseph Tuite and later George Boughey, including the 2023 Pretty Polly Stakes (G1). That same year, her talent led to a change of ownership: Yulong spent 2,700,000 guineas to acquire her at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, a historic investment.

A daughter of the influential Fastnet Rock, her breakthrough in Australia was explosive. She immediately won the Ranvet Stakes (G1) and, from then on, dominated the middle-distance landscape, adding ten more G1 victories, including two consecutive Cox Plates (G1) at Moonee Valley—a feat reserved for legends.

"I want to thank Via Sistina for the journey she took us all on, from her early wins at shorter distances to the two Cox Plate victories, something we will never forget," Waller added. "She is tough, determined, and a wonderful mare to work with."

From Yulong, the message was as emotive as it was definitive: "To say she was a horse of a lifetime would be an understatement," they noted. "Sold as a yearling for just 5,000 guineas, she transcended the sport, accumulated nearly AU$ 19.5 million in just 29 starts, and won the hearts of everyone who saw her race."

The gratitude extended to Chris Waller’s team, her regular rider James McDonald—who piloted her to nine top-level wins—and everyone involved in an unrepeatable campaign.

Now, a new chapter begins. Via Sistina leaves the track at the very top to start her career as a producer. The racing world bids farewell to a champion; the breeding industry awaits, with great anticipation, a future mother who wrote her name in letters of gold.