![Autumn Glow wins the Apollo Stakes [Bradley Photos]](https://betsy.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/2253060.jpg)
They are just built different.
Australian racing watched two stars stamp their authority on Saturday, Autumn Glow in Sydney, Tentyris in Melbourne.
In Sydney, Chris Waller tried to play down his filly’s eye-catching win in the Apollo Stakes, winning by more than two lengths, simply saying she ‘’returned well’’.
But J-Mac wasn’t so circumspect. He told Channel 7 post-race Autumn Glow is just built different, from her demeanour to her freaky ability to crush her field.
She is now undefeated from her 9 starts.
Waller said she will now likely head to the Verry Elleegant.
‘’She has come back well and we know where she is starting her prep. The first run of the prep is the most important. It tells you where they are. You can have as many track gallops and trials and exhibition gallops. Until they are under race pressure you don’t really know. That tells me she is in pretty good position,’’ Waller said.
‘’The Verry Elleegant and George Ryder seems logical. We’ll talk to [Arrowfield’s] Mr [John] Messara and the team in Hong Kong (Hermitage) which is all part of the fun.”
MAKE THAT NINE 🌟
The wonder mare Autumn Glow returns with a bang! She remains unbeaten and leads home a Waller trifecta in the G2 Apollo 🥇🥈🥉@mcacajamez @cwallerracing pic.twitter.com/viFA7tXeTL
— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) February 14, 2026
Down south at Flemington, another star well and truly has arrived.
Any doubt that Tentyris’ Coolmore win didn’t prove his top-tier class were dismissed with his stunning win in the Lightning Stakes.
The 3 year-old gave Everest Winner Giga Kick a 5 length start, but showed a devasting turn of foot to blow the field away.
Sam Freedman said his father Anthony said Tentyris could be the best horse Sam ever trains.
An emotional Freedman said post-race they would now look at a Newmarket, weight permitting.
“If David Hagan is watching, the handicapper, he wasn’t that impressive, he only just won. I would love to come to the Newmarket if he was not heavily penalised for the victory, but it’s not easy for a three-year-old to carry a big weight like that. We’ll have to have a chat about where he goes, but I can assure you it’s a very good problem to have,’’ he said.
‘’These are the sort of horses that get us going. They’re exciting.”
‘’It means a lot as these horses don’t come around very often. Godolphin have been huge supporters of ours for such a long time and we’ve had some really good horses for them over the years, but this will top the list. For Anthony, he has been in the game for so long, he said to me at the end of the spring campaign, this might be the best horse you ever train.”
Either way, the new stars of the turf have emerged, are here, and as J-Mac said, they are built different.
Black Caviar Lightning Stakes | Tentyris
Tentyris lifts the roof off the Flemington grandstand with an instant acceleration, propelling himself into Black Caviar Lightning Stakes glory ⚡️
📺 Ch. 78/68, Foxtel 529, Kayo or via our app
REPLAYS: https://t.co/ZIa4a02wC0 pic.twitter.com/79JpKwKq7B— Racing.com (@Racing) February 14, 2026
