Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
One of Thursday’s highlights at Kensington was an exhibition gallop from unbeaten 3-year-old filly Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) as she prepares to make a return to the races on March 22. She has been hailed as one of the best fillies in Australia, and her return to the turf has been much anticipated by many - but perhaps most by Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara, who refers to the filly as his "favourite topic of conversation".
“I was very happy with the gallop,” he shared with The Thoroughbred Report. “Importantly, the trainer and the jockey were very happy. James McDonald was very pleased, she gave him a very good feel. And Chris was happy with her. I think he’s got her pretty right to go for the Darby Munro next Saturday week, so we’re eight sleeps from her next start.”
A slow build-up of fitness
We may have only seen her for three starts so far, but what a phenomenal three starts they have been. In a spring where many stars emerged from debuts in benchmark company, Autumn Glow shone bright in her rise to Group 2 company, with three victories averaging a 1.9l margin back to second place.
Days before she was due to clash with Arrowfield-bred Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) in the G1 Flight Stakes, a fetlock chip was discovered that needed to be removed and she was scratched for surgery. The Waller team have been cautious with Autumn Glow's preparation ahead of her return to the races; she missed out on the G1 Surround Stakes, her originally jumping off point, at the beginning of the month to instead trial once more.
John Messara | Image courtesy of Arrowfield Stud
It has taken her a “fair while” to get fit after a lengthy post-operative spell, first on box rest, and then in a yard.
“I think she got quite fat internally,” Messara said. “It’s taken her a while to get fit. You could see, after a gallop or a trial, she would have a really good blow, and it’s only today that, for the first time, she just had a healthy blow.
“She’s in the hands of a champion trainer, and she's being ridden by a champion jockey, and they know what they're doing.”
“She’s (Autumn Glow) in the hands of a champion trainer, and she's being ridden by a champion jockey, and they know what they're doing.” - John Messara
A flawless record
In three starts, Autumn Glow has defeated 12 stakes performers; subsequent Listed Exford Plate winner Dawn Service (Justify {USA}) ran second to her in her debut, and Just Party (Justify {USA}), who had been third as a juvenile behind Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot {GB}) in the Listed Fernhill Handicap, also returned to stakes company following defeat with a second-place in the G2 Callander-Presnell Stakes.
Four more subsequent stakes performers found themselves beaten at Autumn Glow’s next run in the G3 Up And Coming Stakes; Enriched (I Am Invincible) is the best among them, having won the Listed Fireball Stakes at his most recent start last weekend.
“It was great to see him fulfill some of the potential he’s been showing for the last 12 months or so,” trainer Michael Freedman told the Australian Turf Club after the colt’s emphatic win on Saturday. “He’s very talented and I think he can go further.”
“It was great to see him (Enriched) fulfill some of the potential he’s been showing for the last 12 months or so. He’s very talented and I think he can go further.” - Michael Freedman
Autumn Glow stepped it up again in her win in the G2 Tea Rose Stakes next; her narrowest margin of 1.16l, but still beating the likes of G2 Silver Shadow Stakes winner Ameena (Tassort), G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Manaal (Tassort), and G2 Reisling Stakes winner Erno’s Cube (Rubick). In fact, she beat a field of five stakes winners or subsequent stakes winners, and a grand total of six stakes performers, plus $1 million Inglis Sprint winner El Morzillo (Star Witness) and juvenile winner More Territories (Territories {Ire}), who has been just outside the placings in several stakes events.
Had she come to hand sooner, we could have seen Autumn Glow return in the G1 Surround Stakes - won by Lady Shenandoah - or the G1 Coolmore Classic this weekend, but her fitness has caused a rethink. Messara is happy to be patient.
Autumn Glow | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“We've had to recast the plans at the moment,” he said. “We're saying to ourselves, ‘Let's run her in that race on Saturday week’, which is open company (in the Listed Darby Munro), so it won't be that easy. It’s not against her own sex. We think she's good enough to compete, and we'll see how she goes there as to where her next assignment could be.
“There are a number of possibilities, including the Arrowfield Sprint on the second day of the championships. We obviously will be aiming to try and get to a Group 1 at some stage. We had three of them in mind before we started this campaign, but because she took a while to get fit - she's a big girl too now—you can only do so much at a time.”
The world is Autumn Glow’s oyster, for Messara.
“She has a will to win, she's got a lovely action, she’s got a gorgeous pedigree, and she's got a terrific temperament,” he added. “She's got everything, really.”
“She (Autumn Glow) has a will to win, she's got a lovely action, she’s got a gorgeous pedigree, and she's got a terrific temperament,. She's got everything, really.” - John Messara
A showdown with Lady Shenandoah
Saturday’s Coolmore Classic is another near miss with Lady Shenandoah, who was purchased from Arrowfield by Hermitage Thoroughbreds—Arrowfield's partners in Autumn Glow, and lines up as the most favoured runner in the race.
“We’re thrilled for them,” Messara said. “She has won the races that we were going to compete in, but it has been a nice consolation prize for Arrowfield to have her win those races for us because if we couldn’t do it, we certainly wanted her to do it.”
“She (Lady Shenandoah) has won the races that we were going to compete in, but it has been a nice consolation prize for Arrowfield to have her win those races for us because if we couldn’t do it, we certainly wanted her to do it.” - John Messara
Lady Shenandoah hasn’t raced outside of stakes company since her first start as a 2-year-old in May of last year, when she met Clean Energy (Zoustar) and finished in the placings. Her first-up win in the G3 Ming Dynasty Stakes had her beat eight existing or subsequent stakes performers, including Henlein (Dundeel {NZ}), who was second in the G1 Spring Champion Stakes by 0.36l, and Mayfair (Fastnet Rock), who was denied by 0.33l in the G1 Golden Rose Stakes.
The field at her next start in the G1 Flight Stakes was only small, but has a springboard for the form of those in defeat; runner-up Harlem Queen (Brutal {NZ}) followed it up with two meritorious fourth placings in the Spring Champion and the G1 VRC Oaks, fourth-placed Powers Of Opal (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) was second in the G2 Wakeful Stakes and the Oaks, and the progressive Snow In May (The Autumn Sun) took out the Listed Canberra Guineas on Sunday. Lazzura (Snitzel) improved over her summer break to run third in the G1 Surround Stakes last start to Lady Shenandoah, with a late stage surge that suggests she could really factor in the finish this weekend in the G2 Phar Lap Stakes.
Lady Shenandoah | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Perhaps the biggest feather in Lady Shenandoah’s cap is her repeat defeat of Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon) this preparation; in two meetings, she has had it over the G1 Golden Slipper Stakes-winning filly, although she had to dig deeper in their Surround Stakes clash to come out on top.
If they were to meet, Lady Shenandoah has the edge in terms of greater raceday experience and having already collected two top-flight wins, but Messara has confidence that Autumn Glow could shine through.
“I’ve got enormous confidence in Autumn Glow, but she’s still got to do it at the very highest level,” he said. “You have to bow to performance, and at this stage, she’s (Lady Shenandoah) better performed than ours - but ours hasn’t had the opportunity. So it’ll be interesting to see when we do get the opportunity, either in Group 1 races or against her, just how we go.”
Lady Of Camelot | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
That could come as soon as in four weeks’ time, as both fillies hold nominations for the G2 Arrowfield 2YO Sprint and the G1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes on April 12. Chris Waller - who trains both fillies - shared in his weekly video update on X that Lady Shenandoah is unlikely to stretch out to the 2000 metres of the G1 Vinery Stud Stakes, but could well be freshened after Saturday and make the field for the Queen Of The Turf. If they were to meet in the latter race, Autumn Glow would be jumping from 1200 metres to the mile, but would be back racing against her own sex.
“Oh, I’m very confident,” Messara added. “I feel Autumn Glow will acquit herself very well.”
