Bought for approximately $3.5 million last December, Via Sistina has a reputation that belongs atop the list of contenders for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney, Australia, on Friday evening. So far this year, Via Sistina has matched the expectations that accompanied her sale price in Britain last December. In her Australian debut, Via Sistina closed from last of six to win the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse in Sydney on March 23 as the 6-5 favorite. While the Ranvet Stakes was worth $665,000, the Queen Elizabeth Stakes has a purse of $3.3 million and is the richest of 10 races on a Randwick program that comprises the second and final program of The Championships series. The first day was held last week. :: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for Australian racing The Queen Elizabeth is one of four Group 1 races on the Randwick program, along with the $1.325 million Sydney Cup at two miles, the $662,600 Australian Oaks at 1 1/2 miles, and the $662,600 Queen of the Turf Stakes for fillies and mares at a mile. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com. Via Sistina, a 6-year-old Irish-bred mare by Fastnet Rock, has won 6 of 14 starts. In Europe last year, when trained by George Boughey, Via Sistina won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes at 1 1/4 miles in Ireland in July. She later finished the season with second-place finishes in two Group 1 races – a nose loss in the Prix Jean Romanet for fillies and mares at Deauville, France, in August, and by three-quarters of a length to King of Steel against males in the Champion Stakes at Ascot, England, in October. Via Sistina, trained by Chris Waller, is part of a field of 10 in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes that includes Cascadian and Pride of Jenni, who were first and second in the Group 1 Australia Cup at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne on March 30. :: Bet with the Best! Get FREE All-Access PPs and Weekly Cashback when you wager on DRF Bets. Of those two, the 6-year-old Pride of Jenni is rated as a greater threat to Via Sistina. Trained by Ciaron Maher, Pride of Jenni is expected to set the pace, a style that led to her win in the $2.46 million All-Star Mile on March 16 at Caulfield. The most competitive betting race of the Group 1 races at Randwick will be the marathon Sydney Cup. Circle of Fire was 7-2 in early betting Wednesday, the favorite in a hearty field of 17. Circle of Fire, trained by Maher, will start at the extended distance for the first time after a win in the Group 2 Chairman’s Cup at 1 5/8 miles at Randwick last weekend. There will be significant support for Ashrun, who was fourth in the Group 1 Melbourne Cup at two miles last November. Ashrun won the minor Pakenham Cup at 1 9/16 miles in his second start of 2024 and was third by 1 1/2 lengths in the Group 1 Tancred Stakes at 1 1/2 miles on March 30 at Rosehill Gardens. Ashrun struck a rail while leaving the walking ring before the Tancred. Jockey Jason Collett later told the stewards that Ashrun “did not feel comfortable in [his] action.” Craig Williams will ride Ashrun in the Sydney Cup, his first time on the 8-year-old gelding since fall 2020. Ashrun had a layoff of nearly three years, from the fall of 2020 until last September. The Queen of the Turf Stakes is led by the red-hot filly Zougotcha, who closed from fifth of 17 to win the Group 1 Coolmore Stakes for fillies and mares at 7 1/2 furlongs on March 16 to remain unbeaten in two starts this year. Zougotcha will be joined as a stalker by Atishu, who was third in the Australian Cup and won the Group 2 Blamey Stakes against males at a mile on March 2 at Flemington in her last start at a mile. The shortest-priced favorite in the Group 1 races will be Orchestral in the Australian Oaks. A New Zealand-bred who has won 6 of 9 starts, Orchestral won her Australian debut by a little more than a half-length in the Group 1 Vinery Stud Stakes at 1 1/4 miles on March 30 at Rosehill Gardens at 3-5. She will be about the same odds in a field of 10 in the Australian Oaks. :: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.