Winx Stakes (Group 1)
AUTUMN Glow returned to the racetrack for her first start since her only defeat, third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April, stepping out in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
The Chris Waller-trained five-year-old mare with regular jockey James McDonald up was offered up as a $1.70 favourite in the field of 11 that included four of her stablemates.
Sprightly away from barrier three at the 1,400 metre start, Autumn Glow settled fourth, one off the fence. Bjorn Baker’s Midnight Dynamite kept the pace true, looking to get a break on the bend in case the favourites faulted first-up.
McDonald was cruising though. Autumn Glow went past a pair of pursuing stable mates, idled up to Midnight Dynamite, and was asked for an effort at the 200 metre mark.
Ridden hands and heels, she won easily by two lengths from the second favourite the Saxon Warrior filly Sheza Alibi, herself on a run of five straight wins capped off by the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap in April. Third in was the Per Incanto gelding Gringotts.
Great horses racing
“As James just said, people come to the races because they want to see these great horses racing each other,” said Chris Waller, referring to the Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman-trained Sheza Alibi.
“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.”
Purchased for A$600,000 at the Magic Millions National Weanling sale before selling for $1.8 million at the 2023 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale, Autumn Glow, by The Autumn Sun, has won 12 of her 13 starts for over $9.17 million in earnings, with this her fourth Group 1 win.
“She’s so special, just her gate speed and tractability,” reflected James McDonald. “She knows when she’s in a race because from the 500 metre to the 400 metre, 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.”
NOMINATIONS closed this week for the A$6.55 million Caulfield Cup and the $6 million Cox Plate, the latter being run at Flemington this year whilst Moonee Valley’s rebuild is taking place.
Joseph O’Brien has 15 horses nominated for the 150th edition of the Caulfield Cup which drew 124 nominations, matching Ciaron Maher and just behind Chris Waller’s 18.
The Melbourne Cup runner-up Goodie Two Shoes and Epsom Derby third place finisher James J Braddock headline O’Brien’s hand with his father Aidan having just the one in Causeway.
Gerald Mosse, Roger Varian, Andrew Balding, William Haggas, Alessandro Botti, Simon Crisford and Harry Charlton all have entries. So too does Willie Mullins with Gaucher and Love Me Tender, whilst his nephew Emmet Mullins has nominated Zia Zabel. Weights will be released on Thursday, September 17th.
Cox Plate
Nominations for the Cox Plate number 103. The 12 international trainers engaged are Donnacha O’Brien (A Boy Named Susie), Ed Walker, Aidan O’Brien (Causeway, Gstaad and Hawk Mountain), Shizuya Kato, Kevin Philippart de Foy, Jessica Harrington, Andrew Balding, Francis Graffard, Ralph Beckett, Dermot Weld (Purview), Roger Varian, Yoshito Yahagi and Emmet Mullins (Zia Zabel). First acceptances close for the Cox Plate at 12 noon on Tuesday, September 8th.