While we may be running out of superlatives to describe Autumn Glow, it’s now simply a matter of letting her performances on the track speak for themselves, and once again the daughter of The Autumn Sun was stunning, leading home a stable quinella in the $1m G1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) to remain unbeaten.
From barrier 3, the 4yo mare jumped extremely well, going forward to settle in fourth position with stablemate Lindemann eventually finding the lead under Nash Rawiller after jumping from gate eight in the field of nine.
A dual G1 winner in the Spring, the Waterhouse-Bott trained Sir Delius (GB) resumed on Saturday and settled in second position with the favourite’s stablemate Aeliana in third.
Rounding the home turn, the Star Thoroughbreds owned G1 winner Aeliana (NZ) came up along the inside of the weakening Lindermaan to take the lead, and while Sir Delius was working into the race nicely, it wasn’t as quickly as James McDonald and Autumn Glow.
Sprinting hard and clearly taking the lead, it looked as if Autumn Glow would pull away from her stablemate, but to Aeliana’s credit she fought back, getting within a long neck on the line which should certainly see the ATC Derby winner peak at her next start.
Holding on for third in what was a great return was, the team behind Sir Delius look to have an exciting Autumn ahead of them, while Waller’s Soul Of Spain (IRE) and Wootton Verni (FR) appear to have come on from their runs in the G2 Apollo Stakes last start behind Autumn Glow, finishing fourth and fifth respectively.
When quizzed post-race about what makes Autumn Glow so good, Waller had a relatively simple answer.
“She does everything right, simple as that,” said Waller. “Doesn't matter where she draws, what the track conditions are, or distances, she puts herself in the race."
“A different type of horse to some of those good horses I've trained when they get back and they have your heart in your mouth, but I still have my heart in my mouth. But, yeah, she's up on the speed. She puts herself there, so that's the difference.
As for where the glamour mare will head next, her next start is locked in, but then a decision still needs to be made.
“George Ryder,” said Waller. “I'd love to try her at 2000m, but she's got to be dominant in her next win to give us that ultimate satisfaction that she can run the 2000m, otherwise it's probably the Doncaster.
"She's got a lot of weight, but she's a good horse.
“I'll talk to Mr. (John) Messara and the Hermitage team in Hong Kong. I respect what they've got to say more than anything. It's still in play, yes, definitely still in play.
“The only thing with the Doncaster, there's a few unknowns. You can get barrier draws, like barrier 20 and things like that.
“She's had some tricky draws in her previous races, but I guess when you've got a smaller weight-for-age field where your draws aren't as important, it makes the job a bit easier.”
McDonald was asked the same question as Waller about why she is so good.
“Her demeanour, her presence, she knows she's so good,” enthused McDonald. “You can just see her strut around, even cantering to the start looking around like 'you guys have got none'. She's pretty good and she moves like a dream.”
“She just breathes so well and so push-button. She's got an incredible turn of foot. We weren't going to see the same performance we did first-up because of the ground. Even though it wasn't to her liking she was always going to win, even if I went another furlong."
When Alieana started to make ground late on the mare, McDonald was worried.
“Not really, she does enough. Two very good mares obviously and that's just the beauty about Glow, like she's 10 from 10 and Chris has been there and done it all before. So he knows what to do with her. I guess she can't be in better hands because obviously it's a lot of pressure with her.”
As for where she may head after the George Ryder, McDonald has his opinion.
“I think she should run Queen Elizabeth. She'll win it.”
Recording her second G1 victory, Autumn Glow took her overall prizemoney purse to $7,582,000 from her ten unbeaten starts.
Topping the Inglis Easter sale of her year when sold for $1.8m to Arrowfield Pastoral and Hermitage Thoroughbreds from the Silverdale Farm, the Newhaven Park bred Autumn Glow was originally knocked down for $600,000 to Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock at the Magic Millions National Weanling Sale.
One of two individual G1 winners from three to the races out of South African Champion Sprinter, and multiple G1 winner Via Africa (Var), Autumn Glow is a three-quarter-sister to Newgate Farm’s G1 ATC Golden Rose Stakes winner In The Congo (Snitzel), whose first crop yearlings have sold up to $625,000 so far this year.
Unfortunately, Via Africa’s breeding career has not gone to plan since foaling the unbeaten mare, having not produced a foal in the subsequent four season, although the mare was covered by Zoustar in the spring.
Autumn Glow is one of five individual G1 winners for her Arrowfield Stud based The Autumn Sun, who will be represented by just the single lot at the Inglis Premier yearling sale followed by ten lots at the Inglis Easter yearling sale including Lot 209, the Arrowfield Stud-consigned filly who is bred on a very similar cross, being out of a grand-daughter of Var, while Autumn Glow is out of a daughter of Var.
