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Boughey praises Via Sistina ahead of sales

Via Sistina will head to the December Mares Sale at Tattersalls following her heroic second in the Group 1 British Champion Stakes.

VIA SISTINA.
VIA SISTINA. Picture: Alan Crowhurst/Getty Images

The five-year-old has won three times since joining the George Boughey yard, including a six length romp in the Group 2 Dahlia Stakes at Newmarket and a comfortable victory at the top level in the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes. 

The mare dropped back to a mile for a third in the Group 1 Falmouth Stakes before missing out by a nose in the Group 1 Prix Jean Romanet at Deauville. 

She produced a courageous effort in the Group 1 Champions Stakes at Ascot, when only headed by King Of Steel in the closing stages. 

"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 Jean Romanet 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."

Via Sistina will head to the Sceptre Sessions, for elite fillies and mares, at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale, held on 4 and 5 December.

"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," added Boughey.

"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."

From a breeding perspective, Via Sistina is sure to be popular at the sales with an unexpectedly speedy pedigree. She is out of an unraced half-sister to Group 1 winning sprinter to Kingsgate Native and the family are closely related to 1000 Guineas winner  Las Meninas. 


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