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Via Sistina tipped to “put a big hole” in Makybe rivals
SENTrack • September 11th, 2025 3:50 pm
The Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) is the key race at Flemington this Saturday.
SENTrack & RSN form analyst Miles Pfitzner has assessed the potential headlines, suggesting that if favourite Via Sistina wins this weekend then they won’t get near her for the remainder of the spring.
Via Sistina returned with an impressive win in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) on August 23 and now tackles her second-up assignment against stablemate Aeliana, as well as Mr Brightside, Antino, Tom Kitten and Mark Twain.
Pfitzner posed the following potential headlines on Giddy Up: “Can Tom Kitten announce himself to maybe roll Via Sistina in the Cox Plate?
“Is Aeliana the horse we think she is?
“And if Via Sistina wins this, you could nearly say she will not be defeated. It’s almost as simple as that.
“If she’s going to go under she’ll be going under at Flemington at the mile because they won’t get near her at 2000 metres plus.
“Second-up is probably where she’s at her most vulnerable.”
Pfitzner is adamant that iron horse Mr Brightside, who proved many doubters wrong by running second to Treasurethe Moment in the Memsie, will not beat his Makybe rivals despite having a favourable speed map.
“I’d be deadset shocked if Mr Brightside won this race. I would nearly fall over,” he added.
“I think you’ve got the right pilots in Damian Lane, James McDonald, Blake Shinn, Ben Melham and Jamie Mott. They’re not going to let Mr Brightside get away with murder.
“I can’t see them having the brain-fade like they did with Pride Of Jenni in the Queen Elizabeth and letting a horse just bowl along in front.
“Mr Brightside wants the dogfight, on speed, out in front. I just don’t think he’s quite going to get it.”
Fellow form guru Mitch Lewis is confident that 10-time Group 1 winner Via Sistina will stomp this small field on her way to defending her Cox Plate crown.
“I’ve got one headline and I think it will be: Via Sistina scares most of them for the Cox Plate,” Lewis said.
“She was vulnerable first-up on a heavy track. Her failure last time was on a sticky track.
“Now on a good Flemington track, I think she can put a big hole in a few of these and that might scare a few off from a Cox Plate.”
