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Find your Sport Nation frequency“Lapped”: Massive call on potential Via Sistina v Ceolwulf meeting
SENTrack • July 17th, 2025 1:45 pm
Prominent thoroughbred owner John O'Neill has made a massive call relating to star mare Via Sistina.
O'Neill is expecting Via Sistina to reel off multiple wins this Spring, and furthermore cannot see Ceolwulf getting anywhere near her.
The conversation found its way to a possible Via Sistina v Ceolwulf meeting early in the upcoming spring.
If that situation did happen to arise, O'Neill simply can't see Chris Waller's Cox Plate champion being challenged by Joe Pride's gelding who has been touted as a potential star.
However, O'Neill can see Ceolwulf, who has two Group 1 wins to his name, winning more races if he took the following path.
“If I trained him he would win three Group 1s - it would go to the Toorak with plenty of weight and win, then I’d send it to Perth and it would win the Railway, and it would win the race that Light Infantry Man won (Northerly Stakes),” O'Neill said on SENTrack's Giddy Up.
“He won’t get within 100 yards of Via Sistina.”
Host Gareth Hall is not so sure if the two horses will even meet in their next preparations.
Hall: “Well, he’s not going to.”
O’Neill: “He’s going to have to at some stage.”
Hall: “Via Sistina is going to the Cox Plate. Different paths. The King Charles is his main aim.”
O’Neill: “Yeah well, he will get lapped (if they meet).”
Hall: “He won the race last year.”
O’Neill: “He’s not going as good as what he was.
“Yes, he did win it last year with Pride Of Jenni going 11 seconds to the furlong for 1800 metres.”
O'Neill was also confident that nine-time Group 1 winning mare Via Sistina will salute in four of her five races this spring, including the defence of her Cox Plate crown.
“I just cannot believe Chris Waller has said this horse (Via Sistina) looks better than what she did last year,” he added.
“I’m not a big tipper on these early all-up bets, but let’s assume it can’t win the Winx (Stakes). I don’t think she can win at 1400m first-up.
“But if she goes to the Makybe (Diva Stakes) at a mile second-up, then to the Turnbull (Stakes), then to the Cox Plate and the Champions Stake. I don’t think there’s any horses that can beat her in the Turnbull, Cox Plate and Champions.
“If you chuck the Makybe in and have an all-up it’s about 25-1. For people looking at future investments, it’s 11 or 12-1 for the three.”
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