Autumn Glow reigns supreme as Waller, McDonald dominate awards

Autumn Glow, Waller and McDonald were honoured several times during the evening which combined the national awards with the NSW Racehorse Owners Association’s NSW Racehorse of the Year.

Autumn Glow claimed Australian Horse of the Year with 110 votes from Half Yours (69 votes), Sheza Alibi (67 votes), Via Sistina (66 votes) and Sir Delius (65 votes).

She was a deserving winner of the coveted title after an outstanding 2025/26 season where she won seven races in succession including three at Group 1 level in the Epsom Handicap, Verry Elleegant Stakes and George Ryder Stakes, plus the Golden Eagle which has subsequently been elevated to Group 1 status.

The Waller-trained mare closed out her season with the only defeat of her career when third in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes behind Sir Delius.

Autumn Glow, who was won the Champion Middle Distance category, has begun the new season in imperious form with her brilliant first-up win in the Group 1 Winx Stakes last Saturday.

She is the 18th mare to be crowned Australian Horse of the Year in 26 years.

The “female phenomeon” began when Sunline completed her Horse of the Year three-peat in 2000-01-02 before Makybe Diva went back-to-back in 2005 and 2006.

Miss Andretti won the 2007 title before it was Typhoon Tracy’s turn in 2010 before the extraordinary era of legendary mares Black Caviar and Winx.

Black Caviar, unbeaten in 25 starts, won a hat-trick of Horse of the Year titles in 2011-12-13.

Winx then collected an unprecedented four successive Horse of the Year awards from 2016 to 2019 as she won her final 33 races including a world record 25 at Group 1 level.

Verry Elleegant (2021), Pride Of Jenni (2024) and Via Sistina (2025) continued the Horse of the Year domination by mares.

Waller has now trained nine of the last 11 Horse of the Year winners having also prepared Winx, Nature Strip (2020, 2022), Verry Elleegant and Via Sistina.

Waller’s stable of stars also collected the Champion 3yo Colt-Gelding category with Caulfield Guineas and Rosehill Guineas winner Autumn Boy, and brilliant mare Joliestar was voted Champion Sprinter for her wins in the TJ Smith Stakes and Canterbury Stakes.

Waller claimed his 14th consecutive Champion Group 1 Trainer award after preparing a record 22 Group 1 winners last season.

McDonald won his sixth straight Champion Group 1 Jockey Award after riding a record 17 Australian Group 1 winners, all on Waller-trained horses. The jockey also won five Group 1 races in Hong Kong on superstar Romantic Warrior.

Golden Slipper winner Guest House, who resumes in the Group 3 San Domenico Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday, was voted Champion 2yo with 191 votes over Blue Diamond winner Streisand on 98 votes.

Peter Moody’s freakish Sheza Alibi, winner of the Randwick Guineas and Doncaster Mile, won the Champion 3yo Filly title with 197 votes from Godolphin’s Tempted on 118 votes.

Autumn Boy won the colt’s division albeit narrowly after picking up 136 votes to Godolphin’s Tentyris on 130 votes, while Joliestar won the Sprinter’s crown with 142 votes from Tempted (65 votes) and Tentyris (52 votes).

The Tony and Calvin McEvoy trained Half Yours completed the coveted Caulfield Cup-Melbourne Cup double and claimed Champion Stayer with 195 votes from Aeliana on 122 votes.

Stern Idol raced into retirement after taking out his third Champion Jumper award in four years.

Arrowfield Stud supremo John Messara, a part-owner of Autumn Glow, had a memorable night with Champion Sire honours going to his super stallion Snitzel, who’s progeny amassed more than $26 million in earnings last season.

Snitzel sired a personal best six individual Group 1 winners last season with Fireball, Campione D’Italia, Lazzura, Marhoona, Transatlantic and Baraqiel, the most by any stallion since Redoute’s Choice (sire of Snitzel) 20 years ago.

But the awards kept on coming for “Team Autumn Glow” who also dominated the NSWROA awards.

Autumn Glow was voted NSW Champion Horse of the Year and the NSW Champion Miler.

Waller capped the night by winning his 15th Bart Cummings Medal for being NSW’s most outstanding performer in 2025/26.

The Hall of Fame trainer accumulated 148 points to win the prestigious award from McDonald (91 points) and 2023 Bart Cummings Medal winner Zac Lloyd (79 points).

“It goes without saying that this is an unprecedented, but worthy, recognition of Chris Waller’s ongoing achievements and he has our sincerest congratulations,” said Graeme Hinton, Racing NSW acting chief executive.

“It’s also fitting that he receives this award after a season where he trained his 200th Group 1 winner.”

Waller claimed his 16th successive Tommy Smith Award as Sydney’s premier trainer.

McDonald snared his 10th George Moore Award (eighth straight) as Sydney’s premier jockey while Siena Grima claimed the Theo Green Award for leading Sydney apprentice.

The other big NSWROA winners were Guest House as NSW Champion 2yo, Sheza Alibi was Champion 3yo, Joliestar voted Champion Sprinter, Sir Delius as NSW Champion Middle Distance, Idle Flyer as Queen of the Autumn, Bianco Vilano won NSW Country Champion and Changingoftheguard was NSW Provincial Champion.

Leading trainer Joe Pride won the Caryl Williamson NSW Racing Writers’ Personality of the Year award, Stephanie Alexander from the Brett and Georgie Cavanough stable was voted Sydney Stapper of the Year, and Ice Kool won BOBS Horse of the Year.

#2025/26 Australian Racehorse of the Year Awards:

Champion 2yo: Guest House

Champion 3yo Filly: Sheza Alibi

Champion 3yo Colt/Gelding: Autumn Boy

Champion Sprinter: Joliestar

Champion Middle Distance: Autumn Glow

Champion Stayer: Half Yours

Champion Jumper: Stern Idol

Bart Cummings Award – Group 1 Trainer of the Year: Chris Waller

Group 1 Jockey of the Year: James McDonald

Champion Sire: Snitzel

#2025/26 NSW Racehorse Owners Awards

NSW Champion 2yo – Guest House

NSW Champion 3yo – Sheza Alibi

NSW Champion Sprinter – Joliestar

NSW Champion Miler – Autumn Glow

NSW Champion Middle Distance – Sir Delius

NSW Champion Stayer – Aeliana

NSW Queen of the Autumn – Idle Flyer

NSW Country Champion – Bianco Vilano

NSW Champion Horse of the Year – Autumn Glow

Tommy Smith Award: Chris Waller

George Moore Award: James McDonald

Theo Green Award: Siena Grima

Caryl Williamson NSW Racing Writers Personality of the Year: Joe Pride

Sydney Strapper of the Year: Stephanie Alexander

BOBS Horse of the Year: Ice Kool

Final Standings for the NSW Bart Cummings Medal

148 points: Chris Waller

91: James McDonald

79: Zac Lloyd

60: Nash Rawiller

54: Tommy Berry