Turnbull Stakes Tips - Via Sistina to stamp authority as rising stars issue the challenge

The Group 1 set weights and penalties race that is run over the 2000m has produced some elite winners in recent times, including Winx, Verry Elleegant, Incentivise and Gold Trip, setting the tone for the majors that follow. 

This year’s edition is no different, with Via Sistina ($2.05) heading the market ahead of rising star Aeliana ($5) and the progressive Sir Delius ($6).

Via Sistina returns to defend her crown after landing the Turnbull 12 months ago en route to a famous Cox Plate victory. The ten-time Group 1 winner wasn’t suited in a slowly run Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) when midfield on a crawling tempo but has bounced back at this stage before. 

She draws barrier 1 with James McDonald on board and is one of five in the race for Chris Waller, with Aeliana presenting as the fresh challenger. The Australian Derby (2400m) heroine announced herself last season and has returned with two eye-catching clashes against Via Sistina, splitting their duels in the Winx Stakes and Makybe Diva Stakes. Antino also comes out of the Makybe Diva Stakes to add further depth. He has had little go his way this prep but the Doomben Cup winner does belong at this level.

Six contenders come out of the Underwood Stakes (1800m) that was taken out by Sir Delius, the European import for Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, showed courage to claim that Group 1 and continues to build an imposing record, with Flemington’s spacious track a big plus. Golden Path (3rd), Moira (4th) and Land Legend (5th) are some of the others to come out of the underwood with the latter providing the fastest last 200m in that race. 

Half Yours is emerging as a Cups force and comes in with the best last start benchmark figures of any runner after claiming the Naturalism Stakes (2000m) at Caulfield last time and has attracted plenty of early support in the betting. 

The Turnbull Stakes is Race 8 of the 10-race card at Flemington on Saturday October 4 and will be run at 4:25PM AEST. 

We should enjoy a stack more tempo than what we saw in the Makybe Diva Stakes with River Of Stars and Golden Path to lead them up, while Sir Delius (barrier 14) and Deakin (barrier 12) might push across to be handy. Young Werther and Adelaide River won’t be far away and those that settle midfield or worse, including Via Sistina and Aeliana, should get their chance. Moira and Antino are the likely backmarkers. 

Very hard to go past Via Sistina. The champion mare was a seven-length improver on benchmark figures at this stage of the spring in 2024 when going from a 5th in the Makybe Diva Stakes to a win in this race. She claimed the Ranvet Stakes (2000m) in the autumn at this stage before her Queen Elizabeth Stakes triumph. Aeliana is the obvious danger and closed off with the fastest last 200m in the Makybe Diva, while she is a previous Flemington winner. But Via Sistina is the proven galloper with the 10 Group 1 wins under her belt and gets to her 2000m sweet spot, while she draws to map perfectly from barrier 1. 

Half Yours firmed in from $15 to $11 after the barrier draw and has come back in excellent order after an autumn and winter campaign that saw her rise through the grades in NSW and Queensland. The Tony McEvoy-trained galloper delivered on his talent last time to claim the Naturalism Stakes by nearly four lengths and his performance was backed up by going 13.5 lengths faster than standard benchmark. Anything like that has him right in the mix and the son of the Irish sire, St Jean, should have some improvement left in the tank. He is another that draws to enjoy the perfect trail from barrier 4 and is over the odds at the double figures.