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Chris Waller‘s historic eight-length Ladbrokes Cox Plate winning mare Via Sistina continues her incredible spring campaign this weekend lining-up as the odds-on elect in an incredible 2024 VRC Champions Stakes field at Flemington.

A dozen of the country’s most talented racehorses face off in the Group 1 $3 million VRC Champions Stakes (2000m) which is one of three elite level events on the final day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival this weekend.

Waller’s outstanding daughter of Fastnet Rock, seven-year-old Via Sistina, set a new Cox Plate record at The Valley destroying her rivals in emphatic fashion on October 28.

She returns chasing a hat-trick having also won the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) here at the Champions Stakes track and trip two back and is drawn to get the run of the race on Stakes Day in gate four with James McDonald in the saddle.

There is no denying the class, dominance and ratings of this mare who understandably sits top of Champions Stakes betting at a short $1.70 through Ladbrokes.com.au to hand her trainer and jockey back-to-back wins in the event following their success with Atishu in 2023.

The danger at current Champions Stakes odds of $7.50 is the stable’s defending champion Atishu looking to join Zaaki (2021-22) as a recent two-time champion.

The seven-year-old daughter of Savabeel presents fit on the quick back-up after narrowly saluting in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) on Derby Day.

That was her fourth win from nine runs at Flemington and she’s got a lovely 2000m record (8:3-1-2) back up to the trip again after a Turnbull sixth and Group 1 Might And Power third earlier this spring.

The other hope at single figures in betting and the early Champions Stakes market mover with plenty of hype surrounding his return is the Anthony & Sam Freedman-trained Caulfield Cup – Melbourne Cup double hero from last spring, Without A Fight.

He has been backed in from $16 right into $9 to salute in his first run since become the 163rd Melbourne Cup winner by over two lengths last November.

The now eight-year-old son of Teofilo returns from injury without a lead-up trial but word is he’s back and going as good as ever despite the year off.

Other standouts in the field include Ciaron Maher‘s Caulfield Cup champ Duke De Sessa ($14) back in trip, Harry Eustace’s UK raider Docklands ($15) who was a dual acceptor scratched from Sydney’s Five Diamonds in favour of this Flemington assignment, and Might And Power winner Deny Knowledge ($23) for value.

The 2024 Champions Stakes is set to run as Flemington Race 8 at 5:10pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s nine-race card.

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