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Chris Waller‘s reigning Australian Racehorse of the Year, Via Sistina, is short favourite to bounce back from a last start loss and return to her brilliant best in Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes 2025 at HQ this weekend.

The defending Ladbrokes Cox Plate queen was odds-on second up at the Flemington track last time out in the Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) only to be beaten in the event for a second time by historic three-time champion Mr Brightside.

Up from a mile to 2000m, the punters have been quick to forgive the eight-year-old daughter of Fastnet Rock the loss, especially following the glowing post-race report from star hoop James McDonald.

“Very good run,” McDonald, who sticks in the saddle from the inside barrier in the Turnbull on Saturday, said.

“Sit and sprint, she dashed well.”

Via Sistina was fifth in the Makybe Diva last year on the back of a Winx Stakes win fresh, an event she also won first-up this time in, before claiming the Turnbull Stakes narrowly ahead of her eight-length Cox Plate triumph.

She follows the same path now and is looking to become the first two-time Turnbull Stakes champion since the stable’s four-time Cox Plate hero Winx (2017-18) and leads the markets at $2.30 and firming through Ladbrokes.com.au.

Waller is a six-time Turnbull Stakes winning trainer and along with Via Sistina also saddles-up four other runners including the second $5 favourite, Aeliana, this weekend.

The five-length ATC Derby winning filly is third-up as a four-year-old mare now and is out to win for the first time this prep after back-to-back seconds.

The classy daughter of Castelvecchio was second in the Winx Stakes in the wet fresh before crossing the line 1.5 lengths off Mr B in the Makybe Diva in another encouraging run.

A genuine staying type, she looks well placed with fitness behind her now up to a more suitable trip and shapes up as a big danger to beat her better fancied stablemate home.

Her ATC Derby winning jockey Damian Lane, also aboard in the Makybe Diva, sticks with from a favourable barrier five draw.

The other Waller trained Turnbull hopes this season are last year’s The Metropolitan champion and Caulfield Cup third placegetter Land Legend ($61), American import Moira ($27) who ran fourth in the Underwood at her latest, and triple figure outsider River Of Stars ($126).

The other single figure contender at short Turnbull Stakes odds is Sir Delius paying $6 for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott.

The nicely bred son of Frankel is on his way to the Spring Cup races and is being kept safe in the markets for the Turnbull after the French import’s win in last Saturday’s Group 1 Underwood Stakes (1800m).

Big race specialist Craig Williams retains the ride looking for his first win since Green Moon in 2012, but they have work to do from the outside barrier 14 of 14.

Tony Gollan‘s Doomben Cup champ Antino ($10) carrying the 59kg topweight and coming off a fourth only two lengths away in the Makybe Diva along with Half Yours ($11) who won the Group 3 Naturalism by a runaway 3.5 lengths on September 20 at Caulfield are considered the best of the double-figure threats.

The 2025 Turnbull Stakes is scheduled as Flemington Race 8 at 4:25pm (AEST) on Saturday’s 10-race Melbourne card.

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