Via Sistina heading for sales date after gallant Champion Stakes effort

Via Sistina is bound for the December Mare Sale at Tattersalls following her fantastic effort in defeat in the Qipco Champion Stakes.

A Group One winner in the Pretty Polly in Ireland earlier in the year, George Boughey’s stable star came very close to doubling her top-level tally when beaten a nose by Mqse De Sevigne in the Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville in August.

Connections considered a return to France for the Prix de l’Opera on Arc weekend, but decided to sit tight for Qipco Champions Day and were very nearly rewarded in the grandest manner, with Via Sistina looking the likely winner before being mowed down by King Of Steel under an inspired Frankie Dettori.

With the winning margin just three-quarters of a length, and Via Sistina’s rider Oisin Murphy dropping his whip with over a furlong still to race, there is a sense of what might have been, but Boughey is nevertheless proud of his filly’s achievements this term.

“She’s been a star for us this year, not finishing out of the first three in four Group Ones,” he said.

“She was very impressive in the Dahlia, she arguably could have won the France in France, having been the winner of the Pretty Polly, and the target behind closed doors all year was the Champion Stakes.

“The way things fell this year the ground was always likely to be softer at Ascot than it was at Longchamp, luckily we got that rain and she’s obviously very good on that very soft ground.

“It was gutting to get beaten, but we’re very proud of her. We’ll never know what would have happened (if Murphy had not dropped his whip), we both wondered whether it might have made a difference, but these things happen, we move on and we’ve got to try to find the next one.”

The five-year-old will now go through the sales ring, but Boughey believes she is more than capable of racing on next year and would be thrilled if a new owner was to keep her in his care.

He added: “She’s got her date at the mares’ sale and I think she goes there as certainly the highest-rated filly in training, a filly who very nearly won the Champion Stakes and arguably should have won the Champion Stakes.

“She’s a huge racing prospect as well as a breeding prospect. I see no reason why she couldn’t race on next year – looking at her in the yard this morning, she looks physically better than ever and you could very easily go on and work back from the Champion Stakes next year, if she was to remain in training for a new owner.”