Lead Story
Autumn Glow heralds the start of spring
Trevor Marshallsea
ANZ News
Champion mare Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) showed she was back in her best shape by winning round one of a budding rivalry with Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior) in the Winx Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) at Randwick on Saturday.
But the manner of the younger contender’s first attempt at weight-for-age suggested the pair could engage in an engrossing series of battles this season.
Autumn Glow started a dominant $1.70 favourite as she set out to atone for the first blemish on her record at her 12th and most recent start - that Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) third when trainer Chris Waller admitted to erring in trying her over that distance for the first time.
The five-year-old raced according to her market price. Settling into the one-one for James McDonald from gate three in a star-studded 11-horse field, she always looked to be travelling smoothly behind an accommodatingly swift pace set by longshot Midnight Dynamite (Pierata).
That contrasted the passage of Sheza Alibi, who started $3.50 second elect.
She was commendably brought up from Melbourne by trainers Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman to take part in a match race which drew a crowd almost double that of the same meeting last year at 7,877.
Alas, the four-year-old was tardy out of the gates and had to be roused early by Luke Nolen to take fifth spot on the rail on settling.
What's On
Autumn Glow roared into gear flattening out for the run home, the hulking mare motoring past the fading Midnight Dynamite at the 200m to take the lead which proved unassailable but Sheza Alibi, resuming at WFA one start after taking the Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) under 49kg, lost no fans as she also motored home to take a highly commendable second, beaten 1.39 lengths.
The match-race lived up to its billing in a fashion, though marred by Sheza Alibi’s start, and with Autumn Glow appearing to have much more in reserve as she hit the line. Still, the pair were 1.6 lengths clear of the third horse Gringotts (Per Incanto), who turned in a sparkling first up effort.
Post-race, it remained unclear when the two mares would meet again. Sheza Alibi seems likely to follow a 1400-1600m program in the spring. That would suit Autumn Glow also, meaning the WFA King Charles III Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on October 17 could be a target keeping both on a collision course.
But there is also the chance Autumn Glow might follow a sprinting path headed towards The Everest (Gr 1, 1200m) on the same day, meaning a likely clash with the great Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress), the current $1.50 favourite for claiming back-to-back wins in the race, with Autumn Glow second elect at $6.
Waller, who owns a slot for the $20 million WFA sprint, kept his counsel on such plans after the race, despite the crowd being eager to learn when they might see a round 2.
“People come to the races because they want to see these great horses racing each other
“We won’t worry about that today. There are so many things to analyse – the horse’s health first of all, sectional times, the likely competition,” said Waller, who looked forward to more clashes between Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi.
“It was great that Peter Moody and the owners brought the mare up to Sydney. This was the first round of competition running these headline horses.
“People come to the races because they want to see these great horses racing each other. We don’t always want the clashes, but it is important for the sport. We have come out of round one pretty well but I’m pretty sure there will be round two or round three.”
Waller added his mare had improvement to come, as would Sheza Alibi.
“Peter said Sheza Alibi was 82.7 per cent so we might be 83.1 percent,” he said with a laugh. “It is hard to quantify. She was ready to go because I didn’t want her to have a tough time first-up. If she had to reach beyond what she was fit enough to do, then that is tough. She was forward enough for sure.’’
“We know how good she is, so nothing has changed. We just needed her to come back and show where she is.”
McDonald was thrilled to see Autumn Glow return in her best style and on the match race, McDonald said: “She (Autumn Glow) doesn't have to improve. The second horse, take nothing away, she's special as well. An incredible performance by her and I think we just embrace the two mares for how good they are.
“Even if they clash, they’re two special, great horses that have come along at the same time. One's
a year older, but when they have their clashes it's going to be some great rivalry.”
Moody
was pleased with Sheza Alibi’s effort, doffing his cap to Autumn Glow.
“We just ran into one too good on the day,” he said.
“We came out on the back of the winner at the three or 400, but couldn’t go with her.
“We dwelt slightly at the start but she got a lovely run thereafter. She made ground late but only when the winner was eased down.
“No excuses there at all. We’ll get her home, reset, then work out where we’re going over the next few weeks.
“Proud of her. She’s run extremely well against the best in the land, but got beat on her merits.”
Bred by Newhaven Park Stud, Autumn Glow is supremely bred, being the fourth foal of Via Africa (Var), South Africa’s Champion Sprinter of 2013-14 and a three-time Group One victor, and the dam of another top tier winner in present day Newgate Farm sire In The Congo (Snitzel).
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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).
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’s draft at Inglis Easter 2023.
Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara made her the sale-topper there, paying $1.8 million in partnership with Hermitage Thoroughbreds.
The Autumn Sun - Arrowfield’s flagbearer and busiest stallion last spring in serving 178 mares at $66,000 - finished third on the Australian general sires’ table in 2025-26, behind his late barnmate Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) and Zoustar.
He has 11 stakes winners from 211 runners at 4.21 percent, but notably five of the 11 have won at the elite level.
The 11-year-old has earned a hefty fee increase for 2026, standing for $137,500.
Earlier on the program, Prima Bella (Per Incanto) brought up a hat-trick and became the 38th stakes winner for her New Zealand-based sire with a fighting victory in Saturday’s Toy Show Quality (Gr 3, 1100m) at Randwick.
The seven horse, fillies and mares quality handicap had shaped as a mini match-race on the undercard of Autumn Glow versus Sheza Alibi, with Michael Freedman’s elite winner Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice) and Brad Widdup’s vaunted Savvy Hallie (Hellbent) resuming at $2.50 and $3.30 respectively.
But it was Matthew Smith’s Prima Bella who stole their thunder, rising admirably to stakes grade and in her first try beyond 1000m, after beating the males in benchmark races at Flemington and Randwick in her previous two outings.
Bearing the familiar colours of Frank and Christine Cook’s Mystery Downs, the six-year-old jumped from gate two and raced outside the leader and McEvoy sent her to the lead at the 300m, but no sooner had she attained it than Waterhouse-Bott’s $16 shot Stardom (Zoustar), who’d been stalking her, surged from the pack to wrest it from her.
With Apocalyptic, who’d travelled second-last, making too little ground behind the minimum-weighted pair under her 58.5kg impost, and Savvy Hallie weakening out of matters on the fence under 59kg, Stardom had her head in front at the 150m and looked set to come away.
But Prima Bella fought back doggedly on the inside of the soft 5 track to take back the lead, and scored narrowly.
Apocalyptic was a further three quarters of a length away in a pleasing first-up third, considering the first pair’s weight advantage on 53kg apiece. Savvy Hallie appeared disappointing in finishing last, but jockey Nash Rawiller said he feared she may have suffered atrial fibrillation.
The in-form Smith credited McEvoy and race fitness for the win, with Prima Bella having campaigned through the winter with six starts since resuming in May.
“Fit horse. That was the way to ride her and just hope they don’t run past you late. That was the way to do it.” Smith said.
Smith said he’d had doubts over whether Prima Bella could stretch out to 1100m.
“I wasn’t sure, but she was very strong here the other day, over 1000, so we thought we’ve just got to give it a shot and see how we go,” the Warwick Farm trainer said.
Smith said the value-boosting G3 win was a fitting reward for Prima Bella’s owners. The mare won on debut at Wyong in November, 2023, but then required a year off due to injury. The six-year-old has still only had 15 starts, for eight wins and $481,000 in earnings.
Prima Bella is the fourth and best foal of Brah Spring (Darci Brahma), a New Zealand metro-winning mare successful from 1150-1600m, and whose G3-winning second dam Sound Lover (Sound Reason) bore four stakes winners including Sydney G2 victor Philosophe (Zabeel).
Brah Spring now has a yearling filly by young stallion Keep It Simple (Jaggard) and wasn’t served in 2025.
Prima Bella was a $320,000 purchase for Smith at Inglis Classic 2002, offered through Sledmere Stud’s draft for breeders Little Avondale stud, the home of Per Incanto (Street Cry).
Little Avondale’s Italian stallion now has 38 stakes winners from 731 runners worldwide at a solid 5.20 per cent. He’s coming off his career-best finish of sixth on the Australian general sires’ table last season - his first finish above 15th - with his main earner for the term being sprinter Jimmysstar.
The 23-year-old Per Incanto is standing this season for $NZ75,000 (plus GST), up from $60,000 (plus GST).
Apocalyptic’s jockey Tommy Berry said the soft early pace had made it difficult for his mare to catch the leaders.
“They ran home in 33.7 so it is very hard to catch them when they are doing that. She has done a
good job,” he said.
Queensland filly Pembrey (Prague) put herself in Everest (Gr 1,
1200m) discussions and set out an imposing marker for the spring with a breathtaking victory in the
first leg of Randwick’s Princess Series - the Silver Shadow Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) - on Saturday.
Resuming after an autumn campaign featuring success in Rosehill’s Magic Night Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) before a 14th in the Golden Slipper (Gr 1, 1200m), Pembrey was slightly easy at $4.40 despite a brilliant Brisbane barrier trial win.
But although she had barrier nine of 10, Tony Gollan’s filly gave her backers little cause for concern.
She had to complete some early work out wide for jockey James McDonald to take a two-length lead on settling, though the pace wasn’t fierce, but in the straight her margin over a class field of three-year-old fillies grew only wider.
Pembrey led by five lengths at the 200m and the race was over. Eased down close to the line, she scored by 2.44 lengths from David Payne’s $6 shot Bangkok Hottie (Too Darn Hot).
Global Goal (Pinatubo), the John Sargent-trained filly for Jonathan Munz’s Pinecliff Racing, caught the eye at her second start in making great ground on the fence from last to take third at $14, a further 1.23 lengths away, showing she’ll be a threat over the longer trips of the Princess Series.
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Team Archibald’s Cherry Bomshell (Lucky Vega) looked disappointing as $3.80 favourite, weakening to finish last.
Gollan was ebullient over Pembrey’s chances for the coming legs of the Princess Series, which also features the Furious Stakes (Gr 2, 1200m) on September 5, the Tea Rose Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) on September 19, and the grand final of the Flight Stakes (Gr 1, 1600m) on October 3.
However, such was the brilliance of her first-up victory, consideration could now be given to keeping her to short trips and targeting the $20 million Everest.
Last spring, Tempted (Street Boss) showed the benefits of the three-year-old fillies’ impost of 51kg in the weight-for-age sprint by running a 1.15 length second to Hong Kong champion Ka Ying Rising (Shamexpress).
Gollan said he’d likely discuss the Everest with Pembrey’s owners Kia Ora Stud, who also bred the filly.
"I haven't really thought about The Everest to be honest,'' Gollan said. "But I would think about anything with her.
"I will let the dust settle on this and my plan has been the Princess Series as I have been keen to get her to 1400m.
"But anything is an option, although would I want a three-year-old filly to take on the good horse from Hong Kong? Probably not.
"But the Kia Ora team will have their opinion and we will look at all the facts and figures. I do know she is very talented.’'
McDonald was not so equivocal.
"Give her a slot,'' he said of the Everest. "She was exceptional.
"She showed great sustained speed, and to be able to quicken off that, that's impressive.''
McDonald said Pembrey had crossed the field to lead with ease. Despite the soft early pace, she exploded in the last 600 to record a fast time of 1:08.74 on the soft 5 track,
"For her to be in a good spot and be able to quicken off it, it's pretty impressive. Hats off to Tony, it was a good effort.”
Gollan said he was thrilled to see Pembrey uphold her strong two-year-old form.
“She was bloody good,” he said. “She has given us a really good feel at home. But as all of us trainers know, when they show that good two-year-old form they come back at three with all these expectations, you want to see them do it on raceday.
“There is still more improvement to come from her like all these first-up fillies. We had her pretty ready as she is a filly that gets up and about for her first-up run.”
McDonald, who had ridden Pembrey twice before, said she’d returned as an impressive three-year-old.
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“Tony (Gollan) said she's come back good, and physically she has,” the jockey said. “Her neck's a lot rounder and she's carrying condition. He made special mention that she's calmed down a lot. I know she was still a little bit busy, and that was evident in that performance.”
Pembrey hails from some humble beginnings. Kia Ora offered her in Vinery Stud’s book 2 draft at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale, but she was passed in $5,000 short of a $20,000 reserve.
She’s the ninth and latest foal of Se Sauver (Bel Esprit), who won Flemington’s Manifold Stakes (Gr 2, 1600m). She wasn’t served in 2023 and 2024, and slipped a foal after a cover last spring from Captivant (Capitalist).
Pembrey is from the second crop of Prague (Redoute’s Choice), who stood at Kia Ora before a transfer this year to Queensland's Oaklands Stud, where he’ll stand this spring for $8,800.
The nine-year-old has sired two stakes winners - one on either side of the Tasman - from 57 runners, at 3.51 per cent.
In Melbourne, speedy mare Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) will aim to progress from a winter benchmark campaigner to a Group 1 contender after raising a winning hat-trick in Saturday’s Norman Carlyon Stakes (Gr 3, 1000m) at Sandown.
Tom Dabernig’s flying four-year-old has been a star of the south in the colder months, with four wins and two seconds this preparation.
She took a midweek Caulfield Heath benchmark 74 over 1000m second-up, won Morphettville’s Lightning Stakes (Listed, 1050m) by 4.5 lengths in her first black type attempt two starts later, then claimed a Saturday BM100 over 1000m back at Caulfield Heath.
She was stepping up to Group class for the first time in chasing her third straight win on Saturday, and having her first outing on heavy going, but she did it in fine style.
Sent out a well supported $2.30 favourite, Cavalry Girl had gate one of eight but didn’t lead for a change.
Seasoned jockey Craig Williams, wary of engaging in a speed battle up front over the long expanses of Sandown, instead had her trailing the leader, the $6 pop Beast Mode (Better Than Ready).
Williams may have had a couple of anxious moments waiting for a run but when Beast Mode drifted at the 200m, Cavalry Girl speared through and went away to score by 0.5 lengths.
Kelvin Southey’s Bazaball Rewarded (Reward For Effort) took second after also travelling on the pace, with Losesomewinmore (All Too Hard) a further length away in third.
The victory confirmed Cavalry Girl will now strive to become a Group One winner in the Moir Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m) at Sandown in her next start on September 5.
With an eye to the $750,000 Moir - run at Sandown while its usual home Moonee Valley is under reconstruction - Dabernig was delighted to see Cavalry Girl proven at the eastern Melbourne track.
“It’s great, I’m thrilled she’s won at Sandown,” the Warrnambool-based trainer said. “Provided she pulls up well, we’ll be looking at the Moir. Today was perfect, really.
Bred by Patrick Hodgens and Rob Piper of NSW, Cavalry Girl - a $110,000 Inglis Classic purchase by Joe O’Neill’s Prime Thoroughbreds - now has seven wins from 17 starts, with earnings of $521,000.
She’s the first foal of Islands (I Am Invincible), a two-time NSW provincial winner and a half-sister to 2010 Magic Millions 2YO Classic (RL, 1200m) queen Military Rose (General Nediym), a quintuple stakes winner.
Military Rose is also the granddam of last season’s ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) winner Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) and dual juvenile G3 winner Espionage (Zoustar), who’s standing his first season at Lovatsville in Victoria for $11,000.
Islands missed to Shinzo (Snitzel) in 2024 and was covered last season by Stay Inside (Extreme Choice).
Cavalry Girl is one of eight stakes winners for her sire Bivouac (Exceed And Excel) from 136 runners worldwide at 5.88 per cent.
She’s now among six Group winners for the 10-year-old stallion, who stands at Darley Kelvinside this year for $33,000, down from $55,000.
