Via Sistina Surges to Defeat Males in Turnbull Stakes

Via Sistina (IRE) continued her spectacular season Oct. 5 at Flemington, using a sustained rally in the stretch under jockey Damian Lane to edge stablemate Buckaroo (GB) to win the Turnbull Stakes (G1). Trainer Chris Waller is the conditioner of the top two finishers in the AU$500,000 (US$341,100) Turnbull, a 2,000-meter (about 1 1/4-mile) test for 4-year-olds and older. Two-time group 3 winner Eliyass (FR), a 5-year-old French-bred gelded son of La Havre (FR), finished third. The triumph marks the third group 1 win since March 23 for Yu Long Investments' Via Sistina, who captured the Ranvet Stakes (G1) that day and would follow that victory with a score in the Winx Stakes (G1) in August. Buckaroo earned highweight older horse honors last year in Ireland. Via Sistina, a 6-year-old mare, and Buckaroo, a 5-year-old gelding, are both by Fastnet Rock (AUS). One of two winners out of the unraced Galileo mare Nigh, Via Sistina is being pointed to two of Australia's biggest races: the Oct. 19 Caulfield Cup (G1) and the Nov. 5 Melbourne Cup (G1). Trio of Group 1s at Randwick Ceolwulf (NZ) rallied on the outside to win the 1,600-meter (about one-mile) Epsom Handicap (G1) Saturday at Randwick Racecourse, one of three group 1 races on the card. The effort marked the first stakes win for New Zealand-bred Ceolwulf, a 4-year-old Tavistock gelding who finished second in this year's Australian Derby (G1). Ceolwulf is the first starter for the unraced Shamardal mare Las Brisas. Winning trainer Joe Pride said Ceolwulf entered the race with improving form. He was guided to victory by jockey Chad Schofield. The winner was followed home by group 1 winner Tom Kitten (AUS) in second and two-time group 2 winner Royal Patronage (FR) in third. In the the 2,400-meter (about 1 1/2-mile) Metropolitan Handicap (G1) Saturday at Randwick, Land Legend (FR) just edged Zardozi (AUS) and then survived a stewards' inquiry to win as the top two bumped in the stretch. Trained by Waller and ridden to victory by Reese Jones, Land Legend, a 4-year-old Galileo gelding, secured the first stakes win of his career. He entered off a sixth-place finish in a group 3 test Sept. 21 at Randwick. In the third top-level race at Randwick, Lady Shenandoah (AUS), in her group 1 debut, overwhelmed rivals in the AU$750,000 (US$510,000) Flight Stakes (G1). Winning jockey Zac Lloyd told News.com.AU said that the 3-year-old daughter of Snitzel (AUS) was impressive in the 1,600-meter test. She entered off a group 3 win in mid-September at Rosehill Gardens. "That was a good first impression, that's for sure," Lloyd said. "What a filly and obviously I'm very lucky to land on her, but I'm very honored to get the ride for Hermitage and Mr. Waller and hopefully I can get a couple more group 1s as easy as that. It was scintillating." The winner was followed home by Harlem Queen (AUS) in second and Snow In May (AUS) in third as they each earned their first group 1 placing.