Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Raceday recap:
In a field thick with stars, it was Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) who got out in front and cruised to the line for victory in the G1 Winx Stakes first up.
Midnight In Tokyo (Kobayashi) delivers trainer Todd Pollard his first Group win when taking out the G3 Show County Quality at Randwick.
Progressive mare Prima Bella (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) made it three in a row when earning her first stakes win in the G3 Toy Show Quality.
Connections of Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) will send the talented mare towards the G1 Moir Stakes after overcoming traffic to comfortably win the G3 Carlyon Stakes at Sandown.
Autumn Glow adds Winx Stakes to her impressive resume
The first Group 1 of the 2026/27 season, Randwick’s G1 Winx Stakes, was set to be an electric clash of stars, and chief among the group was the highly anticipated collision of glamour mares Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) and Sheza Alibi (Saxon Warrior {Jpn}) - and it certainly delivered on the drama.
The field underwent a major change in shape on the morning of the race with Autumn Boy (The Autumn Sun), Beiwacht (Bivouac), and Barnavara (Ire) (Calyx {GB}) scratched by 7am. When the gates flew back at 4:30pm in the afternoon, the shape changed again, with Sheza Alibi ending up at the rear of a field led by Lindermann (Lonhro).
Sheza Alibi rapidly made up ground on the rails, while Autumn Glow enjoyed a cosy position behind the pacemakers. As the field turned for home, Midnight Dynamite (Pierata) made a break for the front, but Autumn Glow proceeded to show she was just that class above when mowing him down and taking the lead with 200 metres left to run. Sheza Alibi gallantly surged forward to close the gap, but couldn’t catch John Messara’s star mare, who won by a length and a third.
Gringotts (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) finished strongly for third - albeit three lengths behind Autumn Glow - with Lady Shenandoah (Snitzel) in fourth, a further length and a quarter away.
The race was the highlight of a treble on the card for jockey James McDonald, who also steered exciting filly Pembrey (Prague) to victory in the G2 Silver Shadow Stakes for Tony Gollan.
Autumn Glow winning the G1 Winx Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“She's so special, just her gate speed and tractability,” said McDonald. “She knows when she's in a race because from the 500 metres to the 400 metres, 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.”
"For her (Autumn Glow) to have that audacity to fill her lungs up and know it's go time, just let rip, it's just incredible." - James McDonald
McDonald was enthusiastic about the prospect of the two topline mares racing against each other again.
“They’re two special, great horses that have come along at the same time,” he said. “One's a year older, but when they have their clashes, it's going to be some great rivalry. I wouldn't swap Autumn Glow for nothing, but I love the competitiveness.”
It was a 10th victory in the race named after his champion for trainer Chris Waller, who was quick to praise the decision of trainer Peter Moody and owner Fred Noffke to bring Sheza Alibi to Sydney and offer Sydney racing a piece of true theatre.
James McDonald with Autumn Glow after winning the G1 Winx Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“It was great that Peter Moody and the owners brought the mare up to Sydney,” he said. “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 (Autumn Glow) is, so nothing has changed." - Chris Waller
“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 a G1 The Everest slot was on the cards for Autumn Glow, Waller was coy - but it certainly wasn’t a concrete ‘no’.
Chris Waller after Autumn Glow won the G1 Winx Stakes | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Sales: Bred by Newhaven Park, Autumn Glow was sold as a weanling for $600,000 to Silverdale Farm and Shrone Bloodstock, before topping the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale at $1.8 million, purchased by Arrowfield Pastoral and Hermitage Thoroughbreds.
Pedigree: One of two individual Group 1 winners from three to race out of South African Champion Sprinter and multiple Group 1 winner Via Africa (Var {USA}), Autumn Glow is a three-quarter-sister to G1 Golden Rose Stakes winner In The Congo. By Arrowfield Stud’s The Autumn Sun, she is one of five individual G1 winners for the stallion.
Via Africa has yet to produce a live foal since Autumn Glow, but she is due to produce a foal by Zoustar at the end of September this year. Her daughter Protea (Vancouver) was covered by The Autumn Sun in 2025 and is due to foal a three-quarter-relation to Autumn Glow any day.
Pollard’s first Group win as Midnight In Tokyo snaps up Show County
Midnight In Tokyo (Kobayashi) gave young Queensland trainer Todd Pollard a flying start in June when striking in the Listed Hinkler Stakes - his first black-type win as a trainer - and the 7-year-old mare took Pollard’s record to the next level on Saturday when securing a maiden Group win in the G3 Show County Quality.
Jumping from barrier six in a field of eight, Midnight In Tokyo took up the frontrunning spot and fought off a late charge from ante-post favourite Soothsayer (Divine Prophet) to emerge victorious in her first run at Randwick in over three years, prevailing by a neck. Matcha Latte (Maurice {Jpn}) travelled strongly to finish third.
It was the mare’s fourth black-type win and ninth overall victory, catapulting her career prize money into seven figures. Having cared for the mare throughout her career when working for her previous trainers Annabel and Rob Archibald, it was a very special occasion for Pollard, who bought his first yearlings to train in January.
"It’s absolute euphoria when it’s like this." - Todd Pollard
“It’s absolute euphoria when it’s like this,” he said. “It has its days for sure, but we’re lucky we’ve got a mare like her to be running well for us and to come to Randwick is just so special. When you’re travelling with a horse this is where you want to be.
“I thought there was a lot in her favour. There was nothing I could knock about her today, and when she found the front I thought, if he (jockey Ben Thompson) could keep her going (she was a chance). They were coming late, that’s for sure.
Midnight In Tokyo winning the G3 Show County Quality | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
"She only just sees out the 1200, but if she can get in a good rhythm, squeeze her up and kick away and put a bit of a margin on them, I thought the favoured horses might be a bit too far back to catch her. It worked perfect.”
Pollard confirmed that more New South Wales races were on the horizon for the mare after the brave performance, and expressed gratitude to the mare’s owners for trusting him with the final stages of her racing career.
"She (Midnight In Tokyo) will get home safely, and we’ll come back for the Sheraco in three weeks." - Todd Pollard
“She will get home safely, and we’ll come back for the Sheraco in three weeks,” he said. “I’ll talk to the owners. She’s seven years old and she’s coming up to retirement age, but the McKenzie family, they’re awesome. They’re up in Rockhampton, they’re not here today, but they’ve just been so good for me in my early stages.”
Sales: Midnight In Tokyo has been entered for public auction twice, but was withdrawn on both occasions.
Pedigree: Bred by Aquis Farm, Midnight In Tokyo is a half-sister to Group 2 winner Generosity (Divine Prophet), and the pair are out of winning mare Orabelle (Casino Prince), who is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Bel Merci (Extreme Choice) and Listed winner All Too Royal (All Too Hard). Orabelle is a daughter of G1 Robert Sangster Stakes winner Bel Mer (Bel Esprit).
Orabelle’s 2-year-old Capitalist colt was purchased by Stable 88 for $130,000 from Newgate Farm’s Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft in January. She has been unlucky to miss both seasons since.
Prima Bella makes her stakes breakthrough in Toy Show
Matthew Smith’s in-form mare Prima Bella (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) kept the wins coming and added a valuable black-type victory to her record at Randwick on Saturday when taking out the G3 Toy Show Quality, making it three consecutive wins.
Kerrin McEvoy had the reins and gave the 6-year-old mare a cosy ride for most of the trip. Taken forward in the home straight, she was matched stride for stride by Stardom (Zoustar) as they pulled away from the pack, but she managed to get her head in front to score, with Group 1 mare Apocalyptic (Extreme Choice) rapidly making ground to finish third.
“Super ride,” Smith said. “Kerrin (McEvoy) took the initiative and took luck out of it.”
It was an eighth career victory for the daughter of Little Avondale Stud’s Per Incanto (USA), and a fourth in her past six starts.
"Kerrin (McEvoy) took the initiative and took luck out of it." - Matthew Smith
“She’s a fit horse. That was the way to ride her and just hope they don’t run past you late. That was the way to do it.”
Smith admitted that he hadn’t been certain if she could handle the step out to 1100 metres, saying, “I wasn’t sure, but she was very strong here the other day over 1000 metres, so we thought we’ve just got to give it a shot and see how we go. Once she got an easy couple of furlongs early, I thought we’d be a chance to run it out.”
"Once she (Prima Bella) got an easy couple of furlongs early, I thought we’d be a chance to run it out." - Matthew Smith
Smith also praised the patience of the ownership syndicate, headed by Francis and Christine Cook, for continuing to have faith in the mare’s ability to improve. The reward has been black-type and over $480,000 in prize money.
“They’ve been very patient, the owners,” Smith said. “She had a year off at one stage, so they’ve been rewarded. It has been fantastic.”
Prima Bella winning the G3 Toy Show Quality | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Sales: Prima Bella was a $320,000 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale purchase for her trainer from the draft of Sledmere Stud.
Pedigree: Prima Bella is the best foal to date from seven-time winner Brah Spring (NZ) Darci Brahma {NZ}), a half to a Listed-winning daughter of Per Incanto in Pure Incanto (NZ). The family has a wonderful affinity with the stallion, since it also features multiple Group winner Evaporate (NZ), Group 3-winning Belluci Babe (NZ), and Listed winner Magnum (NZ), all by the same sire.
Cavalry Girl on Moir path after Carlyon win
Tom Dabernig’s Cavalry Girl (Bivouac) kept the winning train rolling down at Sandown when striking in the G3 Carlyon Stakes, and now connections have a reason to look up the grades with the progressive 4-year-old.
Jumping from barrier one under the steerage of Craig Williams, Cavalry Girl was giving a nice spot on the rail behind Beast Mode (Better Than Ready) and almost became trapped there by a rapidly advancing Bazaball Rewarded (Reward For Effort). It was within the final furlong that the mare got her change and Williams guided her through the gap to hit the front and win by half a length.
“It’s great, I’m thrilled she’s won at Sandown,” said Dabernig. “Provided she pulls up well, we’ll be looking at the Moir. Today was perfect, really.
"Provided she (Cavalry Girl) pulls up well, we’ll be looking at the Moir." - Tom Dabernig
“Before the race, Craig was concerned the speed was going to be a bit hot. We know that we’re a very fast filly, but he was mindful that he didn’t want to get caught up in a speed battle. In doing so, he had to ride for a bit of luck, and he got that split.
“Once she got through, she won quite comfortably.”
It was Cavalry Girl’s third consecutive win and fourth in her last five starts, having kicked off her preparation in May.
Syndicator Joe O’Neill concurred that the G1 Moir Stakes loomed as a tantalising target for the mare’s next assignment.
"She wants to win and she’s got a great desire to win." - Joe O’Neill
“She’s a very, very good racehorse,” he said. “She wants to win and she’s got a great desire to win. I think we should be heading to the Moir now. This has been a good lead-in race to the Moir the past few years and I think she deserves a chance.”
Sales: Cavalry Girl was sold by Vinery Stud to Prime Thoroughbreds for $110,000 at the Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.
Pedigree: Cavalry Girl is the first foal of dual winner Islands (I Am Invincible) who has unraced 3-year-old filly Pacifico (The Autumn Sun) and 2-year-old filly My Island Girl (Russian Revolution). She was served by Stay Inside in September 2025.
Islands is a half-sister to G2 Reisling Stakes and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic victrix Military Rose (General Nediym), who is the granddam of G1 Sires’ Produce Stakes winner Campione D’Italia (Snitzel) and dual Group 3-winning juvenile and now Lovatsville-based sire Espionage.
