Autumn Glow’s perfect record remains untouched, but boy was she made to earn it!
Sent around an extraordinary $1.10 favourite on the World Pool and $1.30 with bookmakers, the Chris Waller-trained superstar was widely expected to dominate Saturday’s Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick. Instead, punters were briefly forced into unfamiliar territory as stablemate Aeliana issued a genuine challenge in the straight.
In extending her record to 10 wins from 10 starts, Autumn Glow still proved superior, edging clear late to score by a half length, but the margin and grittiness of the win was at odds with the market expectation. The pair cleared sharply away from the rest of the field, with Sir Delius finishing 3½ lengths adrift in third, confirming the race quickly became a contest between two high-class mares.
Autumn Glow got a lovely run just behind the speed before looming up menacingly at the top of the straight. Though the effortless dominance the market expected never quite materialised on ground that jockey James McDonald admitted was not entirely to her liking.
Trainer Chris Waller said the mare’s greatest strength lies not just in talent, but in her professionalism and racing intelligence.
“She does everything right, simple as that,” Waller said.
“Doesn’t matter where she draws, what the track conditions are, or distances, she puts herself in the race.”
“She’s up on the speed and puts herself there, so that’s the difference,” Waller said, before conceding the finish still tested the nerves. “I still have my heart in my mouth.”
Aeliana lost nothing in defeat, pushing her more fancied stablemate to the line and all but guaranteeing separate autumn paths moving forward.
“She’s a pretty good horse, simple as that. It’s not good for the nerves having them clash.”
McDonald believes Autumn Glow’s mental edge is what separates her from her rivals.
“Her demeanour, her presence, she knows she’s so good. Even cantering to the start she’s looking around like, ‘you guys have got none’.”
While acknowledging conditions prevented her from producing the same level seen first-up, McDonald never felt defeat was a realistic threat.
“We weren’t going to see the same performance because of the ground, but she was always going to win. She just breathes so well and she’s so push-button.”
The victory keeps multiple autumn targets firmly in play. Waller indicated the George Ryder Stakes looms as the likely next step, with a potential rise to 2000 metres still under consideration, though not guaranteed unless she produces another dominant performance.
“I’d love to try her at 2000 metres, but she’s got to be dominant again,” Waller said, with the Doncaster Mile also remaining an option pending discussions with owner John Messara and the Hermitage team.
While Saturday’s winning margin was narrow, the statistic that matters most remains unchanged. Autumn Glow is still unbeaten from debut, something even the sport’s modern greats could not claim at the same stage. Winx had already been beaten six times by start ten, while current global star Ka Ying Rising and international performer Caldangan have both tasted defeat along the way. That is not to put her in the same category as any of those three – she’s still a long way off!
Champions are not defined solely by dominant victories. Black Caviar responded when facing adversity, finding a way when the pressure was turned right up. Autumn Glow continues to show that same emerging trait, answering every question placed in front of her so far.
She is only now beginning to meet genuine top-level opposition, yet the unbeaten record survives and the aura continues to build. More importantly, she is becoming the type of horse the racing public can rally behind as the autumn carnival reaches its peak.
For now, the record reads perfectly, ten starts, ten wins and more than $7.5 million in prizemoney. Saturday may not have been her most dominant victory, but it may prove one of her most important.
Because the very best horses do not always win easily. They simply keep winning.
