Autumn Glow stretches unbeaten run to nine
On the same day that the Flemington Group 1 named after Black Caviar was run, Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) showed herself to have the makings of another unbeaten superstar with an effortless first-up win at Randwick in the Apollo Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m).
The Inglis Easter sale topper of 2023, bought by Arrowfield’s John Messara and Hermitage Thoroughbreds, wrote another chapter in making her $1.8 million purchase look cheap in cruising to her ninth win from as many starts.
With regular rider James McDonald aboard, the Chris Waller-trained four-year-old crossed from gate nine of ten to settle in the one-one as The Instructor (Russian Revolution) set a medium pace, and the result looked clear from a long way out.
McDonald shook the reins at the 300 metres and Autumn Glow soon had the lead, strolling home to score like the $1.40 favourite she was, by 2.66 lengths.
Her fellow four-year-old mare Aeliana (Castelvecchio) took second at $14, while Lindermann (Lonhro) completed an all-Waller trifecta at $13.
This victory contained a tinge of sentiment. Autumn Glow carries the same Arrowfield black and yellow diamonds borne so memorably by the great Miss Finland (Redoute’s Choice), the five-time elite winner – including of the rare Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) and VRC Oaks (Gr 1, 2500m) double – and later a top-tier producer.
Messara has always rated Miss Finland as the finest of the many champions he has raced. Autumn Glow may soon cause a rethink.
The magnificently built mare has now earned almost $7.5 million from her nine outings, boosted greatly by her victory in last November’s $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) at the start before this one.
Waller, who went through his own phenomenal winning streak when Winx (Street Cry) won the last 33 of her 43 starts – reviving recent memories of Black Caviar’s (Bel Esprit) 25 from 25 – might now have to consider that he is facing another lengthy unbeaten saga, with all the joy and the pressure such bring.
Sydney’s perennial champion trainer said the seven-time stakes winner Autumn Glow would likely try to add three more elite-level wins to her sole top level triumph so far – last spring’s Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m). Her autumn will continue in the Verry Elleegant Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) back at Randwick on February 28, before Rosehill’s George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m) on March 21.
A decision would then be made on whether to stretch her in distance to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) on April 11 or instead target the Queen Of The Turf Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on the same day.
“The first run of the prep is the most important,” Waller told reporters.
“It tells you where they are. You can have as many track gallops, trials and exhibition gallops as you want but until they are under race pressure, you don’t know, but that tells me she’s in a pretty good position.”
McDonald had said pre-race that Autumn Glow possessed the same qualities of two of the other all-time greats he had ridden in Anamoe (Street Boss) and Romantic Warrior (Acclamation).
Saturday’s victory only enhanced his opinion of the mare.
“It’s extremely special, just the way, the ease she’s doing it,” McDonald said of Autumn Glow.
“But you’ve got to remember, though, there’s a lot of stayers in the race, but I’ve ridden a very good horse in Hong Kong and she’s on a trajectory where she’s improving all the time.
“She’s lightly raced and let’s just say, the world’s her oyster.”
Autumn Glow was first purchased by Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock for $600,000 at the 2022 Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale out of the Newhaven Park draft, before being offered in Silverdale Farm’s draft at Easter.
Bred by Newhaven, the mare is supremely bred, being the fourth foal out of Via Africa (Var), South Africa’s Champion Sprinter of 2013-14 and a three-time elite-level victor, and the dam of another top tier winner in present day Newgate Farm sire In The Congo (Snitzel).
Via Africa has had her problems in the breeding barn, with no foals since Autumn Glow’s birth in 2021. She is now in foal to reigning champion sire Zoustar (Northern Meteor).
The Autumn Sun – who covered 178 mares at $66,000 at Arrowfield last spring after having 2024 off with injury – sits second on the Australian general sires’ table, behind his late barnmate Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice).
He has ten stakes winners from 211 runners at 4.73 per cent, but notably five of the ten have won at the elite level.