Champion mare Via Sistina confirmed in foal to Dubawi

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Yulong’s champion mare Via Sistina has been confirmed in foal to Darley stallion Dubawi. 

It was announced in January that the Chris Waller-trained daughter of Fastnet Rock had been retired and would return to Britain for a date with the leading stallion following a career that yielded 16 victories, highlighted by 12 Group 1 wins and more than A$19.4 million (£9.7m/€11.2m) in prize-money.

Yulong chief operating officer Sam Fairgray said the mare is thriving at the operation’s Newmarket base in England.

“She’s at our property at Newmarket in England and she’s in foal to Dubawi,” Fairgray said.

“It’s great news that we heard a couple of days ago that she tested positive, so it’s really exciting now to see the first foal out of Via.”

With Via Sistina being by the brilliant broodmare sire Fastnet Rock, the resulting foal will bred on the same cross as five winners including this year's Group 1 Al Maktoum Challenge scorer Imperial Emperor. 

Fairgray added the pairing made sense on multiple levels.

“Obviously he [Dubawi] is a champion stallion and physically it’s a good mating with Via being a big, robust mare and Dubawi being a smaller, neater and stronger sort of horse.”

Bred by Laundry Cottage Stud, Via Sistina was originally purchased for a modest 5,000gns at Book 3 of the Tattersalls December Yearling Sale in 2019. She went on to win five races for Joe Tuite and George Boughey, including the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes in 2023. Later that year, she was sold to Yulong for 2,700,000gns at the Tattersalls December Mare Sale.

The mare exploded onto the Australian scene with an impressive victory in the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes and went on to dominate the country’s middle-distance ranks, winning a further ten Group 1 races, including back-to-back Cox Plates at Moonee Valley.

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