James McDonald is set for his first Flemington appearance of this season on Makybe Diva Stakes day, with the champion jockey to head south for a book of rides headlined by reigning Australian Racehorse of the Year Via Sistina in Saturday’s feature.

McDonald has notched 17 of his 120 career G1 wins at Flemington, including four during last year’s memorable Melbourne Cup Carnival in which he rode a record 11 winners across the four-day carnival.

Champion trainer Chris Waller announced on Tuesday morning that Via Sistina would head to Melbourne for Saturday’s G1 Makybe Diva Stakes (1600m) rather than waiting another week for the 7 Stakes in Sydney, after fellow Yulong-owned mare Treasurethe Moment was ruled out of the Makybe Diva on Monday.

Sydney-based McDonald, who last rode at Flemington on Black Caviar Lightning Stakes day in February, had been in line to ride the Waller-trained Aeliana in the Makybe Diva but instead now sticks with champion mare Via Sistina who has dominated Australian racing over the past 12 months including winning the Turnbull Stakes, Cox Plate and Champions Stakes in consecutive starts in Melbourne last spring.

McDonald believes it’s a “good move” sending Via Sistina to the Makybe Diva and is naturally looking forward to riding the mare after the pair combined for a brilliant first-up win in heavy conditions in the G1 Winx Stakes in Sydney over 1400m on August 23.

It was Via Sistina’s ninth Australian G1 win, with McDonald aboard for seven of those.

“She was exceptional first-up and she has come up really well (this spring),” McDonald said on Tuesday.

“She should be hard to beat. I’d be disappointed if she doesn’t try and be fighting out the finish, for sure.”

Via Sistina was an odds-on favourite in early all-in markets on Tuesday for Saturday’s Makybe Diva (1600m), a race the mare was beaten in second-up last year when she finished fifth on a rain-affected track after winning the Winx Stakes first-up.

“She had excuses,” McDonald recalled of Via Sistina’s only unplaced finish in 12 Australian starts.

“It was raining on the day. It was quite slippery, the track, and she just didn’t stretch out at all, so hopefully we don’t get rain (on the day).”

Early markets suggest stablemate Aeliana is the biggest danger to Via Sistina in the Makybe Diva after the up-and-coming four-year-old gave Via Sistina a fright first-up in the Winx Stakes when issuing a strong challenge in the straight before Via Sistina responded to score by a neck.

McDonald noted Via Sistina is “a winner” but he also has healthy respect for the mare’s opposition, including Aeliana.

“She (Aeliana) is exceptional, but she’s not the only one in the race,” McDonald said.

“There’s Antino, there’s (Mr) Brightside, there’s Tom Kitten. They’ll all be hard to beat, they’re good horses in their own right.”

Among McDonald’s other rides on Saturday’s Flemington program is set to be the Waller-trained Lazzura in the G2 Let’s Elope Stakes (1400m) after McDonald rode the talented four-year-old mare to a first-up win in the Show County Quality in Sydney on the same day as Via Sistina’s Winx Stakes success.

“She’s going really well, that mare,” McDonald said.

“She gave me a terrific feel first-up, so 1400m second-up should be ideal.”