Talented Autumn Glow takes flight at Rosehill
Chris Waller labelled Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) a “very, very serious horse” after the 2023 Inglis Easter sale topper strolled home for her second win in two starts in the Up And Coming Stakes (Gr 3, 1300m) for three-year-olds at Rosehill.
While colts Storm Boy and Growing Empire scored electrifying victories on Saturday in their first runs as three-year-olds, a short time later Autumn Glow struck a mighty blow for the fillies by beating her male rivals easily on her first outing in stakes company.
Starting $2.05 favourite, and ridden for the first time by Kerrin McEvoy, the Arrowfield and Hermitage Thoroughbreds raced filly sat sixth of nine in the run, and moved through her gears effortlessly in the straight to win by 2.03 lengths. Tulloch Lodge’s $5 second favourite Wanaruah (Snitzel) took second, with Godolphin’s Snack Bar (Frosted) third.
Even accounting for her minimum weight of 53 kilograms, Autumn Glow’s win was a powerful display of class, and reminiscent of her 2.5 length victory over the same course two weeks ago, when connections showed their faith by debuting her against males in a three-year-old Benchmark 72 (1300m).
“She is a very, very serious horse,” Waller said. “It was only her second race start, a lovely ride from Kerrin. It is pretty tricky out there today, it’s so windy and blustery, which is catching a few younger horses off guard. He parked her in a beautiful spot and had some cover.”
Despite Autumn Glow’s obvious talents, and having outshone colts and geldings so far, Waller is still treading conservatively.
He said he wasn’t entertaining thoughts of racing the filly against males at the top-tier in events like the Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) on September 27, and that she would instead head towards the Tea Rose Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) a week earlier against her own sex.
“It was only her second start today and taking on the likes of Storm Boy and the big guns at Group 1 level this early is probably a little bit premature,” Waller said. “If we can keep her against her own age and sex, it just helps her a little bit.”
Waller also hinted Autumn Glow’s first campaign could be limited.
“I do stress it is her first prep,” Waller said. “As soon she puts the flag up to say ‘I’ve had enough’, that is it.
“She has a very bright future and that is the main reason for saying that. She will tell us.”
In an ominous sign for rivals – and a delightful one for racing fans – McEvoy said the filly had substantial improvement in store, with more physical growth ahead.
“She has gone a long way in her couple of starts and she just gives you that good horse feel,” McEvoy said.
“She had the right scenario today with a light weight on her back, but at her second start to give me that sort of feel, I’d say she’s got a very high ceiling.
“I think there is still a bit of growing. Her wither will come up a bit once she fully furnishes.”
Autumn Glow is a three-quarter sister to Golden Rose (Gr 1, 1400m) winner and now Newgate Farm-based sire In The Congo (Snitzel) with the pair being out of three-time South African Grade 1 scorer Via Africa (Var).
She was the highest-priced yearling sold at last year’s Inglis Australian Easter Sale with Arrowfield and Hermitage paying $1.8 million for her out of the Silverdale Farm draft, with that operation having teamed up with Shrone Bloodstock to purchase the filly for $600,000 from the draft of her breeders Newhaven at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Weanling Sale in 2022.
Underlining Autumn Glow’s precious status, Via Africa had Snitzel foals born deceased in 2022 and 2023, and was not served last season.
Furthermore, The Autumn Sun will miss the 2024 season as he continues to recover from a pelvic injury.
Autumn Glow continues her young sire’s strong rise in calendar 2024, on Saturday becoming his fifth individual stakes amongst 50 winners from 110 runners. She’s his first stakes winner of the current season, in which he has six winners from 36 runners.
Three of his five black type victors have come at the top level via Autumn Angel in the ATC Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m), Coco Sun in the South Australian Derby (Gr 1, 2500m), and Vibrant Sun in Adelaide’s Australasian Oaks (Gr 1, 2000m).