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By Ray Hickson

Champion jockey James McDonald doesn’t need to be handed any advantages in a race but he’ll take what he sees is a significant one into Via Sistina’s grand final at Randwick on Saturday.

Jockey James McDonald (Pic: Bradley Photos).

That advantage is barrier one. They don’t call it pole position for nothing.

McDonald said on Sky Sports Radio while other riders might see it as potentially something they can exploit as rivals to him it’s just another reason to be confident.

Via Sistina, $1.85 with TAB on Wednesday, is eyeing her seventh Group 1 for the season in the $5 million Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m).

“I’m pretty happy with it to be fair, it’s a huge advantage drawing in on the 2000m start at Randwick,’’ McDonald said.

“It’s obviously straight onto a corner. We’re going to be conserving energy pretty quickly.

“She drew one in the Ranvet and it was no problems so I’m happy with that.”

Of course a year ago Via Sistina was upstaged by Pride Of Jenni and that once in a lifetime performance in the Queen Elizabeth.

All preparation trainer Chris Waller has had his sights set on putting the seven-year-old on top in this race and she couldn’t have done a lot more to show she’s on target.

A first-up third in the Winx behind Fangirl at 1400m was quickly turned into a win at a mile in the Verry Elleegant before she comfortably claimed the Ranvet Stakes (2000m).

All that tells McDonald the best version of Via Sistina will be seen on Saturday.

“We’re expecting a peak performance here, and her peak performance was pretty special in the Cox Plate so we’re expecting her to burst when we want her to burst,’’ he said.

It’s been three years since Fangirl last contested a mares only race and McDonald said she’s extremely well placed in the Group 1 $1m TAB Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m).

In 2022 she was well beaten on a heavy 10 track in the same race having won her first Group 1 in the Vinery Stud Stakes a couple of weeks earlier.

She was narrowly beaten by Gringotts in the George Ryder Stakes (1500m) last month and McDonald said she’s earned the right to be considered the horse to beat back at the scene of her most recent Group 1 win in the King Charles III of 2023.

“She was courageous, she went down fighting. She’s in great form and she hasn’t met just the mares grade for a while now,’’ he said.

“She’s found a beautiful race, she deserves her chance at the top level to knock one off this preparation.

“She gets that from gate six, if she brings her best form she’s going to be very hard to beat and I’d expect it’d (take) a good horse to beat her.”

Of all the horses McDonald will ride on Day 2 of The Star Championships it’s clear unbeaten filly Autumn Glow is the one he’s most excited about from a future perspective.

Autumn Glow made it four straight when she returned with an easy win in the Darby Munro on Golden Slipper Day and looks to extend the picket fence in the Group 2 $1 million Arrowfield Sprint (1200m).

“She’s as good as you get in terms of a filly coming through the grades,’’ he said.

“She’s four from four and I’d expect her to make it five from five and have a pretty exciting spring.

“The most exciting thing is we don’t know where her best trip is to start with, and she’s only scratching the surface. I reckon she will definitely stretch to a mile and hopefully that is her best trip.

“She’s very, very, special and she rides beautifully. She’s got an incredible temperament and whatever Chris trains her for she’ll be mighty hard to beat.”

Via Sistina wins the Ranvet Stakes on March 22

James McDonald on Lord Of Biscay (race 3): “I thought his run first-up was incredible, he should have almost won, and I thought his tickover trial was just fantastic. He’s obviously training on brilliantly. He meets the favourite a bit better at the weights. He looks cherry ripe, I have a feeling about him and watching his trial the other day he’s just in really good form.”

On Tempted (race 4): “We’re scarred by the bad gate but it’s not the end of the world. Hopefully we can find a nice rhythm and she’ll finish over the top. She’s pretty classy, arguably she should have almost won the Golden Slipper and we know how good that form is.”

On Leica Lucy (race 6): “She’s taken all before her, she was pretty unlucky when she ran second and should almost be unbeaten. She swept the fillies series quite easily in New Zealand which is not easy to do and culminating in an Oaks. She’s run the 2400m out really well, she’s got a good gate and we’re expecting her to be running one-two to be fair because she is New Zealand’s champion three-year-old filly.”

All the fields, form and replays for Day 2 of The Star Championships at Randwick