Jumping evening clinic at craven college indoor arena
Tuesday 03 February 2026
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New Zealand-born jockey James McDonald faces a date with destiny at Moonee Valley Racecourse in Melbourne on October 25.
McDonald will be aboard 2024 Australian Racehorse of the Year Via Sistina as she bids to win the Cox Plate for the second time in a row.
The Kiwi star is also bidding to emulate Hugh Bowman, who is the only rider to have won the big race on four consecutive occasions (2015 – 2018).
Bowman guided Winx to each of her four victories in the race, and McDonald is aiming to emulate the achievement aboard another hugely talented mare.
Via Sistina delivered a hammer blow to the bookmakers in last year’s Cox Plate, romping home a record-equalling eight lengths clear of her rivals.
The best horse racing betting sites in New Zealand rate her as a 3.25 shot to go back-to-back in the race and trainer Chris Waller thinks she will be hard to beat.
Via Sistina has finished third on her last two outings in the Makybe Diva Stakes and Turnbull Stakes, but Waller says she was not fully tuned up on either occasion.
“I feel she looks fitter,” Waller said. “She’s done pretty well, had a couple soft runs and probably needed it. The sectional times suggest they went very slow to the 800 metres.
“No one got past her (late in the race) and the best part was the last 400m, so I think she’s spot on for a Cox Plate. She loves the Valley and we’ve got three weeks to get her right.”
McDonald’s hopes of etching his name into the Cox Plate record books could be scuppered by current Melbourne Cup favourite Sir Delius.
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained stayer has made a huge impression in Australia, most notably when winning the Turnbull Stakes at Flemington Racecourse on October 4.
Bott claims Sir is Delius the stable's most exciting galloper since Queensland superstar Alligator Blood, who seven Group 1 races.
"It's no doubt the best opportunity we've had heading towards any of those majors, or certainly for the Cup as well," Bott said. “He's got to be right in contention for the Cox Plate off what he's done in his last two runs.
"Alligator Blood is the only other horse that's been able to be effective at that weight-for-age level for us recently on multiple occasions against the top-level horses.
"It's exciting to have a horse like that heading into the majors. The horse fills you with so much confidence - just that will to win that he's got. I think that takes him a long way.
"He's not just a dour stayer by any means - he does have stamina. He's got the ability to overcome a few sticky situations or conditions where others may be vulnerable.
"He just finds a way to make it happen, so those qualities give you plenty of confidence going forward."
Brisbane-based trainer Tony Gollan could prove to be a thorn in the side of the top two in the market with stable star Antino.
The newly-crowned Queensland Horse of the Year split Sir Delius and Via Sistina in the Turnbull Stakes and Gollan is eager to have another crack at them.
Antino was an impressive winner of the Doomben Cup earlier this year and should be competitive in what promises to be a thrilling renewal of the Cox Plate.
“He’s our stable champion and I’m really pleased for him to be Queensland champion again,” Gollan said. The way he can hold his speed for longer periods than any other horse I’ve trained makes him pretty special.”
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