The Australian Group 1 season kicked off, for the third year running, with a win to Chris Waller.

Towards the end of last winter, Via Sistina carried the Yulong colours to victory in the Winx Stakes for Waller and James McDonald.

It was Waller’s eighth Winx Stakes win in the space of 11 years.

It was always going to be the start of another big season for the winning trainer and jockey. Just how big was harder to predict.

It was technically still autumn when Waller broke the record he set in 2024/25 for Group 1 wins in an Australian season (19). Providence in the Queensland Derby was his 20th for 2025/26, and he added a 21st for good measure a fortnight later with Tron Bolt in the J.J. Atkins.

Having registered four more Group 1 winners in an Aussie season than any other trainer - Tommy Smith is next with 17 in 1979/80 - Waller appears to have decided to give someone else a go.

He resisted the temptation to tackle this Saturday’s final major, the Tatt’s Tiara, with Fangirl, who would probably have started favourite. He’ll rely instead on roughies Ahha Ahha and Firestorm.

Waller’s nearest pursuer in 2025/26 is again Ciaron Maher with eight Group 1 wins, giving the biggest two stables a combined 38 per cent of our majors. (Maher’s PB is 10, achieved last season and the season before.)

As for McDonald, his numbers have only gone in one direction since he returned from disqualification in 2018.

This season has yielded 17 Australian Group 1 wins for the Kiwi expat, two up on last season’s career best and one more than Malcolm Johnston’s previous Australian record, set in 1979/80.

Craig Williams (8) and Mark Zahra (4) are the only others with more than three in 2025/26.