Via Sistina retires, leaving Mr Brightside and Ceolwulf joint top-rated gallopers

The retirement of Via Sistina has opened a clear gap at the top of Australia’s active ratings, with Mr Brightside and Ceolwulf now sharing the mantle at 119. Via Sistina finished 2025 as the nation’s highest-rated galloper with a rating of 125, and her decision to retire on Jan 19, 2026 removed the standout figure from the early-season hierarchy.

Her absence recalibrates how trainers, owners and punters will approach the early autumn landscape. A 125 rating carried weight not just on paper but in invitations, weight-for-age considerations and the framing of major race narratives. With that figure no longer active, two creative and adaptable campaigners have moved into the spotlight and will carry the burden of expectation through to the autumn features.

Mr Brightside and Ceolwulf now sit level on the ratings ladder. Ceolwulf in particular shapes as a natural miler; his record shows consistent form over the mile distance and he profiles as a logical contender for autumn targets such as the All-Star Mile. His tactical versatility over 1600 metres gives connections options in how they program his spring and autumn campaigns, and the All-Star Mile is likely to feature on any longlist if he maintains form. Mr Brightside, sharing the 119 rating, similarly commands attention across the topweight and weight-for-age assignments and will be a central figure in betting markets as camps map out the next major assignments.

Beyond race planning, the shift has immediate commercial and sporting consequences. Ratings influence commercial value, stud prospects and sponsorship conversations, and the retirement of a 125-rated galloper shortens the list of marketable elite performers available to promoters. Bookmakers and punters will adjust markets as the season unfolds, while race planners may tweak entries and acceptance strategies now that the top active rating sits at 119.

Culturally, the move underlines the cyclical nature of the sport - standout performers move on and new narratives rise to take their place. For connections and fans, there is both a sense of an era closing and anticipation for fresh rivalries. The Adelaide-to-Melbourne storylines of the autumn carnival will now be written with Mr Brightside and Ceolwulf as headline names rather than as secondary characters.

Top active ratings to start 2026 stand as follows: Mr Brightside 119, Ceolwulf 119, with Via Sistina retired at 125 and therefore out of the active rankings. Expect ratings and race targets to remain fluid through the autumn campaign; form in the coming weeks will determine which of the joint leaders can translate rating into autumn silverware and commercial momentum.