Back in 2018, champion trainer Chris Waller was about to win the Golden Rose with outstanding Redoute’s Choice colt The Autumn Sun and five years on he saddled one of his sons to break his maiden in style at Hawkesbury on Thursday.
Blueblood colt Matusalem was winless in three starts last season, but is a stronger and more focused proposition this time around and went out favourite for the 1500m maiden after a good run when resuming from a spell to finish third at Randwick earlier this month.
He appreciated the step up in distance and enjoyed a perfect run in transit for Jason Collett before swithhing into the clear to surge home and win by a length and a half.
Matusalem was a $500,000 Magic Millions purchase from the Arrowfield draft for Chris Waller Racing/Mulcaster Bloodstock and is a three-quarter brother to dual Group I winner Kenedna and ill-fated Group II winning sire Spill the Beans being the eighth winner from eight to race out of Miss Dodwell.
From the family of Golden Slipper winning Australian Horse of the Year Bounding Away, Miss Dodwell is a half-sister to Group III winner Yammer and stakes-winner Blab, the dam of Group I ATC Flight Stakes winner Speak Fondly. She is due to foal again to The Autumn Sun this spring.
Matusalem is the fifth winner this season for Arrowfield Stud based The Autumn Sun, who stands at a fee of $77,000 this spring.
