Cover image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Autumn Glow all aglow for spring finale
Eight horses have decided to brave taking on Sydney’s sensation and reigning Horse Of The Year Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) in the G1 Champions Mile at Flemington.
“We’ve been over the moon bringing her down here, looking forward to it. Hopefully, the rain stays away. Her preparation has been well thought out and planned, and this has always been her finale,” James McDonald told racing.com.
Chris Waller has no concerns with the change in direction for Autumn Glow, who is running in Melbourne for the first time.
Autumn Glow | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“First time Melbourne way, but no concerns there. James McDonald said on Tuesday morning that she got onto the right leads at the right time and stretched out beautifully. Normally Flemington is easy to adapt to,” Waller said.
She’s worked the Melbourne way of going plenty of times as Rosehill gives trainers the opportunities to gallop in both directions.
“At home, it’s common to work left-handed and she’s probably galloped 20 times that way.”
Autumn Glow is unbeaten this time in, winning three from three in Sydney being the G1 Winx Stakes over 1400 metres, the G2 Seven Sunrise Stakes over 1600 metres and the G1 King Charles III Stakes over 1600 metres.
She’s won 14 of her 15 starts, all in Sydney, with her only miss coming when third over 2000 metres in the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes last autumn.
Chris Waller | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Part-owner John Messara is excited to see how his mare copes with the Melbourne way of going too.
"It's a race I don't want to miss because I'm looking forward to seeing her thunder up that Flemington straight. It'll be very exciting," Messara told racingandsports.com.au.
"It's a similar sort of field to the ones she's met her last two or three runs although things may be different in Melbourne the other way of going. There's a risk that she won't handle that as well as she does in Sydney.
"But Chris has worked her that way and she seems to have handled it. He was quite happy with the way she handled it on Tuesday morning so we don't think that'll be an issue. The other idiosyncrasy about her is in a Sydney race James (McDonald, jockey) says when they turn the corner, she starts to want to go and so she knows it's time to go in the straight.
"This will be a bit different. It's a much longer straight at Flemington."
"This will be a bit different. It's a much longer straight at Flemington." - John Messara
The G2 Craven Plate quinella of stablemate Linderman (Lonhro) and Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Tom Kitten (Harry Angel {Ire}) stand out as strong chances to push Autumn Glow. Last start second and third in the G2 Crystal Mile, won by Surfin’ Bird (The Autumn Sun), being stablemate Buckaroo (GB) (Fastnet Rock) and Ciaron Maher-trained Another Wil (Street Boss {USA}) also step out here.
“Linderman’s form is suspect in Melbourne but mostly at Caulfield. At Flemington, he’ll get his chance. He’s bounced back to form in Sydney and we tossed up over 2000 or a mile, and we think he can run top 3 here,” Waller said.
“Buckaroo was brilliant the other day over a mile on Cox Plate day and has drawn out a little bit. He is rock hard fit and will run well.”
Linderman | Image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography
Tempted set to be the spring’s best sprinter
Winning the G1 The Everest and beating the horse recognised as the world’s best sprinter, Ka Ying Rising (NZ) (Shamexpress {NZ}), ought to be enough to put Tempted (Street Boss {USA}) in the mix for the discussion as best sprinter in the land of sprinters.
On Saturday, the Ciaron Maher-trained 4-year-old mare gets her chance to keep her run of great form going in the G1 Champions Sprint. She’s won her last six in succession, unbeaten since running second to Ka Ying Rising in the G1 The Everest of 2025.
“She's exceptional. She's just really blossomed into a fully furnished mare,” Maher told racenet.com.au.
“She's (Tempted) exceptional. She's just really blossomed into a fully furnished mare,”
“He's a phenomenal horse, Ka Ying Rising. He didn't have the best of runs but he still nearly beat her. She was there and executed, did everything right. It was a beautiful ride by Chad (Schofield) and the team had her right.”
All bar one of her 15 starts have been in Sydney, with her only Melbourne run two seasons ago when seventh in the G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at her third career start.
Tempted | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I don't think it (the straight track) will worry her. She's had a look down there now. She can race forward, back and she's pretty tractable. I think she can go on with it.”
Like most Group 1 sprints in Australia, the field includes an embarrassment of riches, such as five-time Group 1 winner Joliestar (Zoustar) who was third in the G1 The Everest last start.
“Joliestar, she’s well, she’s drawn right alongside Tempted in a good field. Tempted is a super star, Joliestar is a star in her own right, and there’s others to respect. She loves the straight and she’s going to be hard to beat. She’s travelled down here and looks a treat,” Waller said.
Joliestar | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Racehorses race: Cosmic Crusader's philosophy
G1 Cox Plate winner Cosmic Crusader (NZ) (Maurice {Jpn}) continues on a long campaign in the G1 Champions Stakes with a simple philosophy from his owner Bob Peters.
“Bob said to me, "there's a race on isn't there? Racehorses race," jockey Willie Pike told racenet.com.au.
“He had nearly a year off at one stage so he's still lightly raced. He's very well looked after and Bob looks after his horses a lot early. He makes sure he doesn't go to the well too much early then, ideally, you can ask a lot of them later.”
Cosmic Crusader (NZ) | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
This campaign began in late July with wins in the G3 Bletchingly Stakes and G2 PB Lawrence Stakes, then a couple of Group 1 placings, before winning the G1 Turnbull Stakes, fourth in the G1 Caulfield Cup and victory in the G1 Cox Plate.
“That's more what used to be normal whereas in this more modern era, some of the horses in the Cox Plate were third and fourth-up. In yesteryear, that was more unusual. Why not race again? Especially when you know most of your opposition and you know you're as good as them.”
One of eight Group 1 winners in the field of 11, Cosmic Crusader isn’t the only one in form. Cox Plate-second Birdman (Ire) (Free Eagle {Ire}) and third Aeliana (NZ) (Castelvecchio) join him. Sabaj (Manhattan Rain) comes off a Listed win on Cup Day. Omni Man (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) was third in the G3 Geelong Cup, won by Point Of Law (GB) (Frankel {GB}) who won the G1 Melbourne Cup on Tuesday.
William Pike | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
"I don’t know if the pace will be as true as it was last time or if I’ll be close enough to capitalise from that barrier. There’s a lot to play out, I am happy that the weather looks like it’s coming," Pike added when talking to racing.com on Friday.
“I’m happy with the horse, I know he’s a good horse. If I can give him a good steer, we’ll get a good result.”
“I’m happy with the horse, I know he’s a good horse. If I can give him a good steer, we’ll get a good result.” - William Pike
McEvoy hunting Golden Gift redemption
After missing the ride on G1 Golden Eagle winner Skyhook (Written Tycoon) through suspension, jockey Kerrin McEvoy hopes to get a redemption gift when riding Exo Velocity (Zoustar) for Chris Waller in the Golden Gift at Rosehill on Saturday.
“It was disappointing for me not to be there on the big day, but at the same time it was pleasing to see the horse go out and get the job done. Gerald (Ryan) and Sterling (Alexiou) and myself, we were all of the opinion he'd gone to a new level, that this time in was going to be his time to shine, and that's exactly what he's shown,” McEvoy told racingandsports.com.au of Skyhook.
Exo Velocity | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“I cracked open a beer, and then I watched poor old Harry Coffey hit the deck (on Derby Day at Flemington), and I came to the realisation it's not all that bad.”
Exo Velocity comes into the Golden Gift having won the Kirkham Plate on debut for McEvoy.
“She gave me a nice feel, and she quickened really well. She's an exciting filly for the future. She's a Magic Millions filly so it must set up for her well to run in this and then potentially come back for something up there.
“She's got to go out there and do it all right again at Rosehill, which is a trickier circuit for a high-pressure 2-year-old race, but she's going the right way.”
Kerrin McEvoy | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
Exo Velocity is the second most expensive yearling in the field at $650,000, beaten only by the $700,000 paid by the James Harron Colt Partnership for Proverb (Written Tycoon).
Five Diamonds dreams for new shareholders
Three 2.5% shares in Welcometotheshow (Showtime) sold on Inglis Digital on Wednesday for $25,000, $25,000, and $22,500, valuing the 5-year-old entire at just under $1 million. The Tyler Donaldson-Aitken-trained galloper will attempt to win that all back in Saturday’s $2 million G3 Five Diamonds at Rosehill on Saturday.
“As much as you like the ego boost of winning money makes the world go around,” Donaldson-Aitken told racingnsw.com.au.
“So lining your pockets where you can takes a lot of the pressure off. If we can get into a situation where this horse can set me up a bit business wise and personally, and take that pressure off, it’s a godsend.
Welcometotheshow | Image courtesy of The Image Is Everything
“He puts in every day this horse. I’m pretty quick to geld them if they’re unruly, for some reason he’s not. He’s a natural gentleman, you’d never know he’s an entire all.”
He’s drawn nine and Craig Newitt will ride. Welcometotheshow ran third last start in the Five Diamonds Prelude behind Declichy Boulevard (Snitzel) who has to carry 2kg more than Welcometotheshow on Saturday.
“If we had the same run as that horse we’d have been very competitive in that race,” he said.
“I’m confident in how the horse is and I think he should be well and truly in the mix. He was entitled to come out from behind them and whack away, finish in behind them and look unlucky but not impressive.
“For him to have to be veered out to have a run at them, balance up and let down the way he did you don’t see too often so he’s in a good headspace. All the form around him is strong so I think everything is on track.”
Tyler Donaldson-Aitken with Welcometotheshow | Image courtesy of Racing Victoria
Group 1 winner Linebacker (NZ) (Super Seth) has the number one saddlecloth and split Declichy Boulevard and Welcometotheshow in the Prelude.
Tuxedo (NZ) (Tivaci) arrives from New Zealand off a Group 1 second placing last start, while Verona Rose (Castelvecchio) was third in the G2 The Invitation last start.
Francie Rules set big task in New Zealand 1000 Guineas
Bill Thurlow-trained Francie Rules (Wild Ruler) will join stablemate Park In The Bar (NZ) (Ardrossan) in the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas at Riccarton. Francie Rules comes off a maiden win at Wanganui, while Park In The Bar won her maiden on debut and followed it up with a second placing.
“Neither of them have done anything wrong, they’ve raced well and deserve a crack,” Thurlow told Loveracing.nz.
“Having said that, it’s not going to be easy, but they haven’t been exposed yet. They have run in easier races and I’ve purposefully done that, it is a bit of an unknown, but they have worked very well since they last raced and are in great order.”
Park In The Bar (NZ) | Image courtesy of Race Images
Francie Rules ran fourth on debut at two, and returned this spring with a placing and a victory.
“I think she will get a mile, and the other filly has got a bit more brilliance but has got a bad draw (14) so she’ll have to go back and be ridden for luck, I’d say. I can’t split them, as I say neither of them have done anything wrong.”
The daughter of second season sire Wild Ruler was sold by Mapperley Stud at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale for NZ$60,000 to Thurlow. She’s the first foal of Toronado (Ire) mare Francie Girl, who has 2-year-old colt Semangat (NZ) (Bivouac) to follow.
Francie Girl won her maiden at Pakenham and is a half-sister to Listed Elwick Stakes and Listed Gold Sovereign Stakes victor Beau Bello (Brazen Beau).
