Lead Story
Autumn’s the Boy as he continues Guineas-winning family trait
By Dan Harrold
ANZ News
In a full-circle moment for his trainer Chris Waller, Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun) maintained a strong family line of Caulfield Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m) winners when taking out the $3 million Classic in a top-class display at Caulfield on Saturday.
A dual winner from his two starts as a juvenile, including in Eagle Farm’s Tattersall’s Stakes (Listed, 1400m) in June, Autumn Boy returned as a three-year-old with a hugely promising runner-up effort behind Sixties (Flying Artie) in the Ming Dynasty Quality (Gr 3, 1400m) on September 13.
Stepping up to elite-level company for the first time in the Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) on September 27, the son of The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice) disappointed slightly with a seventh-placed run - beaten over eight lengths - behind stablemate Beiwacht (Bivouac) at odds of $4.50.
Despite that below-par effort, supporters of Autumn Boy seemed undeterred and backed the colt accordingly into a $4.20 second-favourite on Saturday, support that would prove justified.
Ridden by Damian Lane, Autumn Boy was mid-pack turning for home and angling for a clear run. However, once finding daylight he powered down the outside of his rivals and hit the front with 100 metres left to run, finding plenty to fend off the late challenge of Planet Red (Admire Mars) ($31) by 0.8 lengths.
There was a further 1.7 lengths back to Observer (Ghaiyyath) ($21) in third place.
Autumn Boy’s victory not only emulated his sire’s devastating success in the race for Waller in 2018, but also that of his grandsire Redoute’s Choice (Danehill), who narrowly defeated Testa Rossa (Perugino) to land the Guineas back in 1999.
“We're proud of all the horses that come through the stable,” said Waller. “But when we’ve got champions like The Autumn Sun and we’ve got sons and daughters, it's pretty special.
“Last week, Autumn Glow, now it's a super colt with Autumn Boy.
“That looked his race. We like to just identify talent and then try and get them to that big ticket item.
“Today's such an important race in the horse's career, a colt who announces them on the big stage. Glenn Ritchie [owner] and his wife, they've been so supportive of us, Charlie [Duckworth, assistant trainer] and myself.
“They've become good friends of ours and kept investing, kept investing, and we've managed to buy them a really nice horse.”
What's On
Asked about Autumn Boy’s below-par effort in the Golden Rose last month, Waller said: “It was a track record time. Full credit to the winner [Beiwacht], he led them up and won. The backmarkers just didn't quite get in the race because we were just running so quick.
“We didn't lose faith, the ratings people and our form guys said he’s the one, and sure enough, they were right.
“The sectional timings suggested he actually ran quite well. It was his first time in the big dance or the big-time races. He's come through the run well; he's come down here with plenty of time.
“The team down here have done a great job. We brought him to Caulfield; we ticked all the boxes, everything suggested he was ready to run a big race.”
As for future plans for this now stud-bound colt, Waller downplayed a potential crack at the Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m).
“We didn't lose faith, the ratings people and our form guys said he’s the one, and sure enough, they were right
“Not sure. I don’t normally because they’re still babies,” the trainer said of the Cox Plate.
“He's only had four or five starts, I think. So, it'll be unlikely for us, but we'll see what comes out next week, you've got the luxury of just sitting tight.
“He’s not overly raced so you can do it, but we’ll have to see how good Via Sistina’s going.”
Winning rider Lane was recording his second-successive victory in the Guineas, having landed the Group 1 aboard Private Life (Written Tycoon) last year.
“Beautiful colt just takes everything in his stride, very easy to deal with and a great turn of foot when needed,” Lane said of the winner.
“So you need that to win these big races, and when he joined in, he really joined in.
“I had a great run. I was able to use my barrier speed and just found myself in a bit of a tricky spot in the corner. But once I navigated that, he put the race away pretty quick. Very easy horse to handle, and as a result, had a nice run.”
In becoming Waller’s second elite-level winner in the space of seven days following on from Autumn Glow’s Epsom Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m) success last Saturday, Autumn Boy (3 c The Autumn Sun - Rosegarden by Savabeel) was also providing his Arrowfield Stud-based sire The Autumn Sun with a fifth individual Group 1 winner - and his second in the space of a week.
Bred by Richard Rutherford and purchased for $200,000 by his trainer and Guy Mulcaster out of the Amarina Farm draft at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Autumn Boy is one of two winners from three to race out of the unraced Savabeel (Zabeel) mare Rosegarden, herself from the extended family of Group 1 winner and Group 1 sire Shamexpress (O’Reilly).
Rosegarden has a juvenile colt by Yarraman Park’s Hellbent (I Am Invincible) and, after not being covered the following season, produced a filly by Hellbent recently. The Autumn Sun is standing this season at a fee of $66,000 (inc GST).
Advertisement
_Sun12Oct_page_1.jpeg)
Spring Champion next for Shangri La Boy as meteoric rise continues
The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained Shangri La Boy (Pierro) announced his name on the big stage on Saturday when producing a head-turning victory in the Gloaming Stakes (Gr 3, 1800m) at Rosehill.
Having failed to make the track as a two-year-old, the half-brother to Storm Boy (Justify) is making up for lost time - with Saturday’s success making it two wins from just three starts.
Shangri La Boy’s rise to being a Group 3 winner has been achieved inside just 25 days, with a debut third placing at Canterbury over 1250 metres on September 17 followed by a maiden success at Rosehill over 1400 metres on October 1.
Lining up in Saturday’s $500,000 event over 1800 metres, the colt son of Pierro (Lonhro) was sent off the $4.50 joint-second favourite in the capacity 16-runner field and made light work of those 15 rivals under a confident Adam Hyeronimus ride.
Sent to the front after leaving the barriers, Shangri La Boy never saw another rival, kicking two lengths clear off the home bend and comfortably maintaining that advantage to the line to beat The Pearls (Proisir) ($61) by 2.1 lengths. The third-placed San Giovanni (Zoustar) ($21) finished a further 0.4 lengths behind.
"He's obviously got some great true staying capabilities there," co-trainer Adrian Bott said.
"Storm Boy [is] a great sprinter but this horse in his own right [is] a very good stayer because he's up to this grade very quickly in his career.
"This is his first preparation, just his third start, so to get quickly up to the 1800 metres and do that in such dominant fashion, it's certainly encouraging."
A crack at the Spring Champion Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) at Randwick on October 25 is likely to be next in the offing for Shangri La Boy.
"Being by Pierro you always thought he might be more of a Classics style and physically that was the way he always presented right from the yearling stage,” Bott said.
"I think we have to [go for the Spring Champion] after the manner in which he won that. It was a good test because it was 1400 metres up to 1800 metres on a relatively quick turnaround from the Wednesday meeting here ten days ago."
Although being marked down as one with huge potential over staying distances, Hyeronimus was also quick to credit Shangri La Boy’s turn of foot inside the closing stages of Saturday’s contest.
"He finds that rhythm straight away. He's good from the gates but he's so relaxed after 100 metres and he was beautiful throughout the race," the winning rider said. "He's got a sharp turn of foot too."
Purchased for $375,000 by his trainers and Kestrel Thoroughbreds out of Coolmore at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, Shangri La Boy is a half-brother to Group 2 scorer-turned-Coolmore stallion Storm Boy being the second foal out of Pelican (Fastnet Rock).
Pelican is a winning daughter of Fastnet Rock (Danehill) who is out of the NZ Horse of the Year and seven-time Group 1 scorer Seachange (Cape Cross). She has a two year-old filly by St Mark’s Basilica (Siyouni), a yearling filly by Justify (Scat Daddy) and was covered last spring by the late Wootton Bassett (Iffraaj).
Shangri La Boy (3 c Pierro - Pelican by Fastnet Rock) was providing Coolmore’s Pierro with his 40th individual stakes winner by winning on Saturday. Pierro is standing at Jerrys Plains Farm for a fee of $33,000 (inc GST) this breeding season.
Advertisement
Blueblooded Hidden Motive set for Group 1 tasks after Roman Consul success
Capitalist (Written Tycoon) colt Hidden Motive put his name into the hat for future Group 1 races over the Spring Carnival when landing Saturday’s Roman Consul Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) at Rosehill.
Trained by Newcastle-based Nathan Doyle, the three-year-old had only had two outings in stakes company prior to this weekend’s Group 2, for a debut fourth in the Breeders’ Plate (Gr 3, 1000m) in October 2024 and a last-start fifth in the Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m), but proved he was well up to the task with success at $17.
Ridden by Ashley Morgan, Hidden Motive took over the lead from Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m) winner Marhoona (Snitzel) with 800 metres left to race and was never headed from that point, kicking clear with 300 metres to go before holding on by 0.3 lengths from the fast-finishing Beadman (Snitzel) ($3.50) - who was denied clear running until late in the contest.
Marhoona ($2), who had returned with a first-up win in the Heritage Stakes (Listed, 1100m), again ran well to be third - beaten 0.8 lengths by the winner.
Hidden Motive’s win was a welcome one for both Doyle and Morgan, who only this week aborted The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) plans for stable star and spelling paddock-bound Private Harry (Harry Angel).
"It has been a tough week, but you've just got to roll the punches and, like I said, it's a rollercoaster. You've just got to hold on and ride it out,” Doyle said.
“Tomorrow's a new day, and that horse was very good today; it was a brilliant ride by Ash. He rated him well in front; he gave a good kick on the corner. There were a few unlucky runners in behind, but they pay on the post, and he's a Group 2 winner now.
"He's by Group 1 winner, out of Group 1 winner, so he's got the pedigree and hopefully, he can go on with that.
“He's got good tactical speed, which I think will help him go a long way. He's better off putting himself up to speed and taking bad luck out of the equation.
"He's a quality horse; he always looks a bit big in the mounting yard. I think he just takes a bit of racing to sort of come to hand and sort of prove that today third up.
"He has a great group of owners supporting us all the way, so we are very happy."
Peter Snowden, the trainer of unlucky runner-up Beadman, was reflective of the colt’s run throughout under Tim Clark.
"No fault of Timmy's. Tactically he has ridden the right race behind the favourite but we didn't get the favours when we wanted," Snowden said.
"With only a hundred metres to go he was two-and-a-half lengths behind the winner and he has run it down to a head.
"It was good to see him hit the line hard and through the line he was excellent. He is on track."
Bred by Cressfield, Hidden Motive (3 c Capitalist - Secret Agenda by Not A Single Doubt) was purchased by his trainer and Kurrinda Bloodstock for $120,000 at the 2024 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale and is the best of three winners from four foals to race out of the Robert Sangster Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m)-winning mare Secret Agenda (Not A Single Doubt).
Secret Agenda died in December last year, with her last foal being a yearling filly by Zoustar (Northern Meteor). Hidden Motive became the 27th individual stakes winner for Newgate Farm’s Capitalist, who stands for a fee of $44,000 (inc GST).
Advertisement
.png)
‘I don't see why he couldn't be a weight-for-age horse in the future’
Queensland-based trainer Tony Gollan struck an elated character at Caulfield on Saturday after witnessing his determined five-year-old Transatlantic (Snitzel) go pillar-to-post in the Toorak Handicap (Gr 1, 1600m).
Having run narrow seconds in the Sandown Stakes (Gr 3, 1500m) and Tontonan Stakes (Listed, 1400m) on his two starts prior, the gelded son of late Arrowfield great Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) arrived into the Group 1 handicap rated a $10 chance.
Ridden expertly by Melbourne Cup (Gr 1, 3200m)-winning jockey Mark Zahra, Transatlantic ran the race at a tempo to suit and, having kept extra in reserve for the home straight, kept on willingly to deny the persistent challenge of Evaporate (Per Incanto) by 0.2 lengths.
The front pair finished a further 1.2 lengths clear of Leica Lucy (Derryn) back in third place.
“I've had one of those preparations where I've been beaten point one, point one,” said Gollan. “But I was never really worried, I’d always planned to be here today. I think those defeats got him in here at the right weight.
“Mark [Zahra] executed his plan beautifully, he wanted to be aggressive that first hundred [metres], negate that barrier [in nine]. That's what he did, and that was the winning tactic.
“He had a plan; he had a fit horse, we got him in the right weight. Mark did the rest, you know? Horse and jockey, great combo, great to be back at Caulfield winning Group 1 races.”
Transatlantic was a $360,000 purchase for Gollan, Harbour Equine and John Foote Bloodstock from the 2024 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale out of Segenhoe Thoroughbreds - who have remained in the ownership.
“We bought him as a yearling; we've had some ownership changes along the way. It's just terrific. We've had a bunch in and out of him, and it's just a great story, really. He's been a nice horse to get going, to win a Group 1 with him; it's just a great result,” Gollan added.
“There’s something in the water in Brisbane at the moment!
“We gelded him at the end of his three-year-old year and that was the making of him.
“He's a really busy horse at home, I just thought a trip down here in a new environment, training him away from his home base.
“He's always had the potential and the ability to go to this level, and the trip away has made him, and he's a really quality horse. I don't see why he couldn't be a weight-for-age horse in the future.”
Bred by Sir Owen Glenn's Go Bloodstock, Transatlantic is the third winner and first at stakes level from three to race out of the ATC Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m)-winning Darci Drama (Danehill) mare Gust Of Wind, who was the last horse to ever defeat champion mare Winx (Street Cry).
“The last mare that beat the mighty Winx, Gust Of Wind [is his dam]. So he's got a beautiful pedigree,” Gollan said. “I've got no doubt he'll get further. But he was bloody good at a mile today.”
Winning rider Zahra was also glowing in his report on the five-year-old: “Went out the gates, he was very quick out, which allowed him to get to the front and then [I] just had him where he wanted to be.
“He gave a good kick off the corner, and he's used to seeing Evaporate’s big head. This time, he was able to sort of be on the other side of the photo. It was a good win, well done to Tony.
“I knew I had a really nice time in front, and when I kicked, I knew I kicked good, and he thinks a bit, and I switched to the left, and I was hoping I wouldn't see anyone coming at me late.
“Then I knew it was Evaporate, I didn't have to look, and [he] showed good fight the last fifty [metres] to dig in and win.”
Gust Of Wind has a juvenile colt from the first crop of Newgate Farm’s Stay Inside (Extreme Choice) who will be offered as Lot 26 at next week’s Inglis Ready2Race Sale.
Transatlantic (5 g Snitzel - Gust Of Wind by Darci Brahma) became the 25th individual Group 1 winner for the multiple champion sire Snitzel, who was euthanised earlier this year.
.jpg)
