A look back on Champions Day

Via Sistina extends Champions Stakes reign

Via Sistina has won her 12th race at Group 1 level with a typically dominant performance, going back-to-back in the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington.

The heavy conditions didn’t faze the reigning Australian horse of the year, who tracked up three-wide with cover under James McDonald and put her rivals away in effortless fashion. 

Sent around as the $1.80 favourite, Via Sistina came clear to win by 2-3/4 lengths ahead of surprise packet Zambardo ($14), who was officially rated 78 prior to Saturday, with Tom Kitten ($10) just edging out Pier ($7.50) for third.

Having won her second straight Group 1 W S Cox Plate (2040m) the start prior, Chris Waller said it was ‘awesome’ to see Via Sistina do her thing again as she nears the twilight of her career. 

“She was tough today. She went back from the draw, James didn’t panic and it was awesome to see her in the straight,” Waller said.

Waller praised Yu Long Investments who brought Via Sistina to Australia in 2024, saying the day was a great spectacle for racing fans.

“They (Yu Long) are sportsmen, they love their racing. I knew not to ask because I knew they’d have liked her to race here. It was a simple as that,” Waller said. 

“They have given the racing public something to cheer for and what a great day it’s been with Ceolwulf, Giga Kick and now Via Sistina. Three serious horses on an amazing day of racing.” 

The win also marked another milestone for Waller and James McDonald, who notched up their 50th Group 1 winner as a combination. 

Giga Kick prevails in slogging Sprint 

Giga Kick is now a Group 1 winner in three different states after a stirring victory in the Group 1 VRC Champions Sprint (1200m) at Flemington. 

Second up off a blistering return win in the Group 2 Schillaci Stakes (1100m) at Caulfield, the six-year-old gelding surged late on the heavy 9 track under jockey Mark Zahra to deny noted wet tracker Magic Time, in what Douglas described as a ‘ding dong battle.’ 

The race itself was plenty exciting as Giga Kick ($5.00) edged out Magic Time ($11) by a head, with 1-1/4 lengths back to $2.70 favourite Joliestar in third, but was made more dramatic as three-year-old colt and one-time favourite Tentyris was scratched at the gates on vet’s advice.  

For Douglas, it was a sense of gratitude for the now three-time Group 1 winner, who famously also won The Everest as a three-year-old in 2022. 

“Happy days. He’s a champ this horse and I love him,” Douglas said. 

“He’s done so much for my career and he’s taken me everywhere with Group 1 wins in Sydney and Queensland.” 

“It’s his third go at this race. He hasn’t had a lot of luck in other years and it worked out perfect today.” 

“I was a little concerned with how the weather was, but I thought he would get through the conditions, and he prevailed.” 

Ceolwulf’s champion qualities shine through

Ceolwulf further pressed claims for recognition as Australia’s best miler after claiming an epic Champions Mile at Flemington on Saturday.

At his first start in Victoria the Joe Pride-trained gelding lifted from the canvas under hard riding from Chad Schofield to defeat Pericles in a stirring edition of the $3 million Group 1 weight-for-age contest.

It followed victory in the $5 million King Charles III Stakes, Ceolwulf’s second-straight win in that event, at Randwick on October 18 and Pride was thrilled to see his stable star show his talent on racing biggest stage. 

“He’s an amazing horse, I’m just so proud of him,” he said.

“I’ve thought for a long time he’s the best horse I’ve trained and with his last two wins, he’s certainly cemented his spot there.

“It’s great work from the team at home and it’s a big effort to get these horses here on the big days.

“He’s never travelled away before, but he’s handled it really well and we’ll be back.”

Schofield settled Ceolwulf, a son of Tavistock fourth one of the fence in the race that was run at a solid tempo thanks to Pride Of Jenni and presented as the winner at the top of the straight, only to see Pericles dash past him at the 250m.

That Godolphin gelding, who started $19, put a half-length on Ceolwulf, but the $5 chance rallied strongly to score a short-head-half head win.

Completing a New South Wales trifecta was Pericles’ Bjorn Baker-trained stablemate Stefi Magnetica ($11), who finished a further 4-1/2 lengths back.

“He’s very good. I’ve been lucky and I’ve ridden some very good ones, but he’s getting better. He’s top class,” Schofield said.

Melham makes even bigger mark on Cup Week

Jamie Melham ensured Half Yours’ historic Melbourne Cup success was not her only highlight from this year’s Melbourne Cup Carnival, posting a running double in the first half of Saturday’s Champions Day program.

After winning the third event, the Listed Fisher Stakes, aboard the Peter Snowden-trained Need Some Luck, Melham backed up and won the Group 2 Matriarch Stakes aboard Sunset Park for Brad Widdup.

Melham said it was great to add to what had already been a life-changing week, but she was not yet in a position to fully comprehend her achievements.

“It still feels like a big dream still,” Melham said.

“It’s very, very surreal, I’ve had a great few days since seeing mum and dad and family and have spoken to everybody.

“I’m looking forward to next week, going home and letting it sink in.”

Sunset Park, who started $17, turned the tables on She’s A Hustler from the Group 3 Tesio Stakes (2040m) at Moonee Valley, in which she finished third, leading all the way for a 1-1/4-length win over the $2.70 favourite in the 2000-metre Matriarch.

It was a valuable maiden Black Type success for Sunset Park, an imported daughter of Sea The Stars who has now won four of 11 starts.

It was also a maiden Stakes success for Need Some Luck, a gelded son of Rubick and three-quarter-brother to former superstar sprinter Chautauqua, who ran two Listed placings during the Queensland Winter Carnival.

Need Some Luck ($7) scored by 1-3/4 lengths over straight-track specialist De Bergerac ($7.50) in the 1200m event with $2.90 favourite Big Swinger one length away third.

Whisky On The Hill claims bonus in Queen Elizabeth

Whisky On The Hill did not get to the races Glen Thompson would have liked to be a part of this spring, but the Flemington trainer is excited about what the future has in store for his emerging stayer.

The imported son of Ribchester was a gritty winner of the $300,000 Group 3 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2600m) with Damian Lane in the saddle.

It followed a fifth placing in the Geelong Cup, which ended the Melbourne Cup dream, after a luckless third placing in the Group 2 Herbert Power Stakes, denying him a place, in the Caulfield Cup and Thompson was thrilled to get a consolation prize.

Not only did Whisky On The Hill earn connections the $180,000, he also collected a $200,000 bonus as he was nominated for the Melbourne Cup but failed to gain a start.

“It means a lot for the owners, they’ve been really good supporters, they stuck by me when everything went awry a few months ago and it is very pleasing to get the result for them.”

Whisky On The Hill ($6.50), a five-year-old by Australian time, scored by one length from Etna Rosso ($7) with Japanese mare Golden Snap ($17) the same margin away third.

Calamari claims Inglis Banner

The first race at Flemington on Champions Day was run in conditions good for water creatures and it was the filly with the oceanic name that reigned supreme.

Calamari Ring got her career off to the perfect start when she outground her rivals in the $400,000 Inglis Banner.

The 1000-metre event restricted to Inglis graduates set the theme for what would be a testing day with the two-year-olds running head-first into sideways rain and it was the daughter of Street Boss who handled it best.

The Ciaron Maher-trained $5.50 equal favourite, a $140,000 Great Southern Weanling Sale purchase, ran down Maribyrnong Trial runner-up Streisand ($6.50) to score a head victory with Bohemian Rhapsody ($7) two lengths away third.

Calamari Ring’s ability to handle the trying conditions on debut impressed Maher, who will now map out a feature-race plan that could lead to Victoria’s only Group 1 race for two-year-olds – February’s Blue Diamond Stakes – which Maher is yet to win.

“I didn’t think she would be at the races this early, but she’s just done the right things and kept progressing and that’s what good horses do,” Maher said.

“The Diamond could be on the cards with natural improvement. To do that at her first look down the straight, she’s got a lot of upside.

“The Blue Diamond series has got a nice ‘ring’ to it. We haven’t won that yet, so we would like to tick that off.”

Along with the prizemoney, the Inglis Banner carried a $200,000 bonus for the first horse home that boasts a minimum 75 percent female ownership base and that went to the Tony and Calvin McEvoy-trained Bohemian Rhapsody.

Wet track no issue for Sabaj

Despite the stable’s concerns of a wet track, Sabaj has shown his class to take out Ronald McDonald House Charities Mile that was the second race of the day.

Formerly with Richard & Chantelle Jolly, the lightly-raced four-year-old was sent around a $4.80 chance in the Group 3 Silver Eagle (1300m) first up for the new yard, relishing the drop in grade to take out Saturdaya’s 1600m event.

Sent out a $2.80 favourite under Mark Zahra, the Group 2 placegetter settled back and came widest in deteriorating conditions, coming clear to score by 1-3/4 lengths over He’ll Rip ($11) with a neck back to Mary Eliza ($17) in third.

Scratched from a race on Melbourne Cup day due to a possible wet track, co-trainer Mick Price was pleasantly surprised with how Sabaj handled conditions, with the track downgraded to a heavy 8 post-race.

“We’ve seen him on top of the ground and he’s been very impressive and we’ve got a good opinion of him, but you never know in this sort of ground,” Price said.

“I would say, from my experience, most of the times I say ‘hail Mary, please can I handle this ground’, she says no you can’t.”

“He’s a horse destined for better races.”

The stable suggested Sabaj could be headed West for the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 22.

Grand Larceny rounds out Cup week a winner 

Grand Larceny has won the last of 37 races for the 2025 Melbourne Cup Carnival. 

The Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes trained gelding sat handy to the speed in the HKJC World Pool Grand Handicap (1100m) at Benchmark 80 level and proved too strong late under Ben Melham. 

It provided a first win over Cup week for both trainer and jockey, as the $10 chance held off Codigo ($31) by ¾ of a length with the same margin back to $3.40 favourite Stolli Bolli in third. 

While it was his first win of the week, the victory capped off an unforgettable week for Ben Melham, with wife Jamie Melham riding the winner of the Melbourne Cup on Tuesday. 

“Any more seconds and I’d be a minute today,” Melham quipped. 

“I timed my run, but it took me to the last race on the last day of the carnival. It’s been a great week, a great carnival, and it’s good to finally have one stick it’s bib out on the line.”