VIA SISTINA OUT TO FRANK HOT COX PLATE FORM

Champions Stakes win will vindicate camp's decision for mare to bypass Melbourne Cup

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MELBOURNE - Chris Waller will have a couple of last-start Group 1-winning mares headed to the Champions Stakes at Flemington on Nov 9.

The A$3 million (S$2.64 million) Group 1 Champions Stakes over 2,000m, to be run at 2.10pm Singapore time, will see Via Sistina and stablemate Atishu line up against another nine rivals (after Kingswood was scratched).

Waller hopes the decision to bypass the Group 1 Lexus Melbourne Cup (3,200m) with his emphatic Cox Plate winner Via Sistina will be vindicated in another Group 1 success at Flemington.

The Sydney champion trainer said the decision to miss the Melbourne Cup following Via Sistina's record-breaking win in the Group 1 Cox Plate (2,040m) at Moonee Valley on Oct 26 was a difficult decision for all involved.

"We were very close to running and we were very tempted but there were so many aspects to suggest that we shouldn't," he said.