With the clash of Autumn Glow and Sheza Alibi all that most racing pundits could talk about over the last few days, the two star mares delivered what we wanted, as Chris Waller’s Autumn Glow came out on top, winning the $1m G1 ATC Winx Stakes (1400m), her fourth victory at the elite level.
Not surprisingly the pair were the only two runners under double figure odds in the field where ten of the eleven runners where previous G1 winners.
In somewhat of a tactical race, James McDonald took Autumn Glow forward to settle in fourth position, and while Luke Nolen was able to get Sheza Alibi into fifth on the rail, the Peter and Katherine Coleman trained mare did miss the start and was hustled forward to secure a position.
Bjorn Baker’s Midnight Dynamite, the only runner in the field not to have a G1 victory to their resume took up the running under Tim Clark with Lindermann, one of five runners in the field for Chris Waller, tracking along in second.
With McDonald ensuring Autumn Glow was getting clear running on the outside of stablemate Lady Shenandoah, Sheza Alibi was racing on the inside of Gringotts (NZ) as the field approached the corner.
Midnight Dynamite was full of running as McDonald set out after the leader at the 300m mark, and in a matter of strides, the Arrowfield Stud colour bearer sprinted to the lead, putting the race beyond doubt.
While Sheza Albi may have lost out in the first clash of the superstar mares, the dual G1 winner ran home resolutely to finish second, beaten a length and a half with the Ciaron Maher trained Gringotts a further length and three quarters back in third.
Once again full of praise for his star mare, it was the tenth win in the race by Champion trainer Chris Waller.
“It was great that Peter Moody and the owners brought the mare up to Sydney,” said Waller. “This was the first round of competition running these headline horses.”
“As James just said, 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.”
“We know how good she is, so nothing has changed. We just needed her to come back and show where she is.”
When asked if The Everest was a possibility, Waller highlighted how at this stage it’s not a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer.
“We might be wishing we were racing Sheza Alibi. But we won’t worry about that (Everest) today. There are so many things to analyse - the horse’s health first of all, sectional times, the likely competition.”
As for how forward Autumn Glow was ahead of her first up run, Waller highlighted that she was ready for a positive showing.
“Peter said Sheza Alibi was 82.7 percent so we might be 83.1 percent. It is hard to quantify.
“She was ready to go because I didn’t want her to have a tough time first-up. If he had to reach beyond what she was fit enough to do then that is tough. She was forward enough for sure.’’
Having built a special relationship with the mare, jockey James McDonald once again highlighted her class.
“She's so special, just her gate speed and tractability,” said McDonald. “She knows when she's in a race because from the 500m to the 400m, it's like she just powers into herself and just builds herself, she just knows.”
“It's an incredible feeling and even though she puts herself in good spots, for her to have that audacity to fill her lungs up and know it's go time, just let rip, it's just incredible.
“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. I wouldn't swap all to go for nothing, but I love the competitiveness.”
With 12 wins and a third from 13 starts with earnings of $9,179,000, Autumn Glow has always been a headliner, topping the 2023 Inglis Easter yearling sale when knocked down for $1.8m from the draft of Silverdale Farm to Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds,
Bred by Newhaven Park, the mare was originally sold to Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock for $600,000 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 of 100 lives foals are 2yo’s of the current racing season.
Unfortunately, Via Africa’s breeding career has not gone to plan since foaling Autumn Glow, having not produced a foal in the subsequent seasons, although the mare was covered by Zoustar last spring.
The sire of 24 stakes horses highlighted by five individual G1 winners, The Autumn Sun covered his largest ever book of mares last spring, and with a subsequent fee hike, the five-time G1-winning son of Redoute’s Choice will stand at a fee of $137,500 (inc. GST) this season.
