Via Sistina is the 2024 Cox Plate champion after a historic and dominant win in Saturday’s Group 1 race by a record eight lengths.
Prognosis, who was the favourite, came in second place followed by Broadsiding in third and Mr Brightside in fourth.
Via Sistina was in pole position for the majority of the 2040 metre Moonee Valley race, then charged home on the turn and never looked like letting up in an incredible performance.
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With it, Via Sistina (2:01.07) smashed Winx’s 2017 track record (2:02.94) by nearly two seconds in the demolition.
“It’s the stuff of legends,” Channel 7’s Bruce McAvaney said afterwards.
“This was Winx-like, you don’t get any better than this … it’s just remarkable.
“That’s as good as it gets.”
Emotional trainer after Via Sistina win | 01:24
Jockey James McDonald became just the second person to win three consecutive Cox Plates on three different horses.
“The pace was nice and I had such a nice run the first half,” McDonald said.
“I just wanted to keep it smooth and she loved it … she won like Winx, just a phenomenal performance.
“It’s pretty surreal.”
It remarkably came after doubt surrounded Via Sistina, who was among the favourites going in, after the seven-year old mare threw McDonald loose in a training mishap on Tuesday and ran nearly 5km without him.
“I thought we were doomed,” McDonald said, referencing a photograph which showed him sitting on the track, looking forlorn as a riderless Via Sistina raced of into the distance.
“If looks could tell a story we were stuffed.”
COX PLATE 2024 FULL RESULTS
1st. Via Sistina
2nd. Prognosis
3rd. Broadsiding
4th. Mr Brightside
5th. Docklands
6th. Kovalica
7th. Royal Patronage
8th. Pride of Jenni
9th. Evaporate
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