Horse of the Year Autumn Glow continued her march towards the $5m G1 ATC King Charles III Stakes (1609m), defeating a small but select field to win Saturday’s $1m G2 ATC Seven Sunrise Stakes (1600m) at Randwick.
Jumping away that well from the inside barrier in the field of just five, James McDonald maintained his position to go forward and lead with Gringotts (NZ) in second with the leader’s stablemate Aeliana (NZ) was back in third.
As Ciaron Maher’s Gringotts started to come to the outside of Autumn Glow before the home turn, four-time G1 winner Ceolwulf (NZ) pulled out from second last position with jockey Chad Schofield taking the gelding forward to put himself into a challenging position.
Rounding the turn, Autumn Glow still had the lead, but Aeliana was making her presence felt along the inside while Gringotts and Ceolwulf were both on her outside looming ominously.
Given a shake up by McDonald passing the 200m mark, punters had no need to worry as Autumn Glow dropped into another gear, and in the words of race caller Darren Flindell, she simply “blows them away” in the run to the line to score by one and a quarter lengths.
Stablemate Aeliana produced an encouraging effort to work home into second, just ahead of Ceolwulf while G1 Queen of the Turf Stakes winner Idle Flyer showed a return to form, working home from last to finish fourth in what would have connections extremely happy.
“Darren Flindell’s call was amazing,” enthused Waller. “I watching it inside on the TV and there is a bit of a delay, a four or five seconds delay and Darren had me a bit concerned when they turned for home.
“Darren said there’s a challenge here and it sort of sounded as though she was under pressure. I thought she was travelling alright.
When question is leading was an option, Waller said that he had McDonald had discussed it pre-race.
“We did and he said we might end up in front and Nash (Rawiller, Gringotts) might be there. We will just play it as it comes, nothing too serious, just settling the nerves really.
“But it was good to watch and showed how versatile she is, like she can put herself there or can go back, she just has a great turn of foot.
“I know she was the short-priced favourite but the horses in this race are all handy horses. There was a sprint from the 500m when it got serious, so it was good to see her lift and draw clear in the end.
“I’m pretty happy where she is at. There is some improvement to come, we haven’t screwed her down yet. “We will just look after her and she will do the rest.”
James McDonald was once again in awe of the mare.
“They came to me, let her balance up and she went away with it,” said McDonald. “She did what we needed her to do today.
“She had fun doing it. Ears pricked the whole way. You probably could say they got to her at the top of the straight.”
When asked if had planned to lead, McDonald was happy where he ended up.
“Not really. I’d have been happy in the three positions, first, second or third.
“Once I got control, she just did it herself. When they came at her, got to remember second up, Aeliana ran her to a head. She will jump out of the ground third up.”
With her earnings edging ever so closer to the $10m mark, the Chirs Waller trained mare took her record to 13 wins and a second from 14 starts.
Having topped the 2023 Inglis Easter yearling sale when knocked down for $1.8m from the draft of Silverdale Farm to Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds, the Newhaven Park-bred Autumn Glow 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), who will interestingly have his first crop represented at Monday’s two-year-old trial at Randwick.
Via Africa’s is due to foal this season to Zoustar, while her daughter Protea (Vancouver), a half-sister to Autumn Glow, foaled a filly in late August by The Autumn Sun.
The sire of 24 stakes horses highlighted by five individual G1 winners, the Arrowfield Stud based The Autumn Sun is standing at a fee of $137,500 (inc. GST) this season.
