Champion jockey James McDonald has been left without a Melbourne Cup ride after dominant Cox Plate winner Via Sistina was ruled out of the race that stops the nation.
The Chris Waller-trained mare set a track record to win at Moonee Valley last Saturday in a performance that led to her being ranked the No.1 horse in the world.
Via Sistina immediately rocketed into Melbourne Cup favouritism, with her odds slashed to $5 despite not being a confirmed starter at Flemington on the first Tuesday in November.
Connections took their time to assess their options and on Wednesday ruled the seven-year-old out of Cup contention.
The news was announced by owner Yulong Investments via social media on Wednesday morning.
“Via Sistina officially ranked the world’s number 1 racehorse! The Cox Plate has always been her main target, to win it is nothing short of a dream,” Yulong said in a statement on X.
“Following this peak performance and after much consideration, it has been decided she will not contest the 2024 Melbourne Cup.”
Via Sistina will now target the Group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m) at Flemington on November 9.
The daughter of Fastnet Rock is an odds-on favourite for that race, with McDonald expected to be handed the ride.
A potential clash with last year’s Cox Plate winner Romantic Warrior in the Group 1 Hong Kong Cup (2000m) in December has been ruled out.
Earlier this week, Waller said he and connections would consider long-term prospects for Via Sistina when making a call on the Melbourne Cup.
“She seems fine, but you never really know until a few more days or even in fact until they run, so we’re just trying to preserve her to ensure that (Cox Plate performance) wasn’t just a one-off,” Waller said on Tuesday.
“My job, as the coach, is to get her to win not just one race but many races and to advise the people that own the horse what’s in her best interest.”
Via Sistina was bought by Yulong for $5.5 million in December last year and has now amassed more than $6.7 million in career prize money.
McDonald claimed his 100th Group 1 triumph in the Cox Plate with Via Sistina, winning Australasia’s weight-for-age championship for the third consecutive year after success aboard Romantic Warrior and Anamoe.
It remains to be seen if the 32-year-old New Zealand star will pick up a different Melbourne Cup ride.
McDonald will steer the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton-trained King Of Thunder in the $2 million Victoria Derby (2500m) after Godolphin’s Broadsiding was ruled out of Saturday’s Flemington feature.
McDonald and O’Shea have previously partnered for seven previous Group 1 victories, the most recent eight years ago.
King Of Thunder will jump from barrier one, while favourite and last-start Group 1 winner El Castello will jump from the widest gate in a full field of 16.
Moonee Valley Vase winner and second-favourite Red Aces faired better with barrier four, with third-favourite Keeneland out of gate 11.
