2025 Cox Plate: Modern champions Via Sistina, Chris Waller and James McDonald combine to deliver fitting Valley farewell

Via Sistina. James McDonald. Chris Waller.

The holy trinity of modern Cox Plate history.

Via Sistina cemented her status with a courageous performance on Saturday in the historic last Cox Plate at The Valley before its generational $3bn redevelopment.

• PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet’s team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW!

Only the fourth mare to win consecutive Cox Plates, Via Sistina has excellent company in Winx (2015-18), Flight (1945-46) and Sunline (1999-00).

In doing so, European-bred Via Sistina became the oldest mare, eight by Australian time, to win a Cox Plate.

The actual body clock is 7½. Could she be back next year? Not beyond the realms, but unlikely.

Iron horses Super Impose and Fields Of Omagh won Cox Plates as eight and nine-year-olds respectively.

McDonald simply brilliant, too, and unprecedented, a fourth-straight Cox Plate on three different champions after Anamoe and Romantic Warrior.

Waller has the legendary Tommy Smith’s record seven in reach with his sixth Cox Plate on Winx and Via Sistina in a decade of dominance.

“First one was special, these are bonuses,” Waller said.

• What the jockeys said: 2025 Cox Plate

Via Sistina had to dig deep to hold out the stablemate Buckaroo.

The multiple Group 1 winner challenged in the straight and lunged on the post but reigning champion Via Sistina could not be denied.

A half-head the all-important difference.

“It was a great race. A classic Cox Plate,” Waller said.

“James had to get going early and everyone could see him.

“He was five wide turning for home.

“She was great and Treasurethe Moment was awesome and gave it something to chase.

“And Buckaroo that was … I’m glad Via won and Buckaroo, he’s run out of his skin.”

Via Sistina arrived on Cox Plate day favourite but without an air of invincibility after being placed third the past two starts.

As Waller reminded us all in the build-up, no horse ran past the champ, as such, in speed-dominated races.

“I know she hasn’t won her last two runs but all the data suggests she’s flying,” Waller said.

“Once they set those benchmarks, providing the horse is healthy and well, you know they’re going to get somewhere close to it.

“There’s been a few of those ‘don’t panic, don’t change anything, don’t think about anything’ (moments). Let the horses do the talking.

“She had a lovely run. Attrition, I thought, was the winner at the 200 (metre mark). She had to dig deep. I know she can and she did.”

• ‘That’ll do, you’d better ease up’: Observer keeps fuel in tank for Derby

McDonald, as he often does on the big stage, at The Valley especially, nailed the execution.

Via Sistina travelled beautiful midfield behind a solid tempo, thank you, Light Infantry Man, and trucked up into contention at the 600m.

She flattened out 200m later as Treasurethe Moment cornered like a motorbike.

Enter J-Mac.

Left bicep pumped the reins, to help Via Sistina around the bend, as the right urged the mare to dig in.

She rose the challenges of McDonald and runner-up Buckaroo, expertly handled by Mark Zahra.

“It was a sensational feeling. It was funny because she began well,” McDonald said.

“I thought, ‘this is beautiful’. I thought I was in a great spot.

“She raced a little bit keen for a bit but her incredible will to win shone through there and she’s a champion racehorse.

“I’m so proud of her. She deserved to be in the same breath as Sunline and those sort of horses with two Cox Plates.

“You know what? I’m just rapt that it was a proper run Cox Plate.

‘That’s what Cox Plates are all about. Best horse shone through and she deserves all she gets.”

• ‘Incredible’: Bates secures first Group 2 after 60km dash between tracks

Passing showers the tonic for Buckaroo.

He remains in the Melbourne Cup frame but a Champions Stakes could be hard to pass up in two weeks’ time at Flemington.

Treasurethe Moment, take a bow Matt Laurie.

What a training performance.

Blitzed the Memsie Stakes then knocked about by colic.

Run off her legs third-up, then stop-start tempo last start.

Fronted up on the big stage and produced a gallant third.

She looked a winner halfway down the straight.

If not the Cox Plate cameo at Flemington next year, The Valley comeback in 2027 would be ripe for the picking.

Attrition and Light Infantry Man rounded out the top five.

Aeliana, the third of the Waller runners, a complete forgive run.

Four-time Cox Plate winner Hugh Bowman tried to replicate the first of the legendary Winx quartet and scrape the rail but struck traffic in Light Infantry Man and Nepotism.

Aeliana, widely touted as next year’s Via Sistina, has the time to make amends.

“She was a little keen in the run and no one wanted the fence, so I just let her creep forward throughout, which was fine,” Bowman said.

“When the pressure started to build, I was reluctant going inside Ethan Brown (Light Infantry Man), but I had no other choice and I took my chance and it didn’t work out.”

It worked out for Via Sistina and the 22,000-strong crowd, which farewelled The Valley in style.

Thank you, Moonee Valley.

You’re a Legend.

It’s not good bye, but see you later.

Originally published as 2025 Cox Plate: Modern champions Via Sistina, Chris Waller and James McDonald combine to deliver fitting Valley farewell