Boom filly Autumn Glow enhanced her reputation as one of Australia’s most exciting fillies with another dazzling performance to remain unbeaten at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday. The Chris Waller -trained three-year-old has only had two starts but showed she is a Group 1 calibre filly in waiting with an impressive Group 3 $250,000 Up And Coming Stakes (1300m) triumph. Autumn Glow never looked in any danger as she coasted clear late to score her maiden stakes success in a brilliant display on home turf.
“She is a very, very serious horse,” Waller said. “It was only her second race start. A lovely ride from Kerrin ( McEvoy ).
“It is pretty tricky out there today, it is so windy and blustery, catching a few younger horses off guard. “He parked her in a beautiful spot and had some cover.” McEvoy had Autumn Glow travelling in a midfield position with Axius setting the tempo up front in the second of the day’s feature events.
He started to urge the emerging filly along from the 400m pole and Autumn Glow ($2.05 fav) She raced clear over the concluding stages to beat the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott -trained Wanaruah ($5) by two lengths with James Cummings ’ Snack Bar ($10) three-quarters-of-a-length back in third. “I think she is pretty good,” McEvoy said.
“She has gone a long way in her couple of starts and she just gives you that good horse feel. “She had the right scenario today with a light weight on her back but at her second start to give me that sort of feel I’d say she’s got a very high ceiling. “I think there is still a bit of growing.
Her wither will come up a bit once she fully furnishes.” A daughter of The Autumn Sun, Autumn Glow is raced by racing and breeding heavyweights Arrowfield and Hermitage after being purchased for $1.8m as a yearling.
Her latest performance saw bookies slash her price from $3.50 into $2.30 favouritism for the Flight Stakes (1600m) at Randwick on October 5 while she was $18 into $8 for the Golden Rose .
Waller is reluctant to take on the elite colts in the Golden Rose this early in Autumn Glow’s fledgling career but said he would leave the decision up to the owners. Autumn Glow’s half-brother In The Congo won the Golden Rose in 2021. A date with the Group 2 $300,000 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) on September 21 is the other option.
“It was only second start today and taking on the likes of Storm Boy and the big guns at Group 1 level this early is probably a little bit premature,” Waller said. “If we can keep her against her own age and sex, it just helps her a little bit.” Given Autumn Glow is still only in her first racing preparation, Waller is wary not to overdo it with his highly promising filly.
“When she is winning like that but I do stress it is her first prep,” Waller said. “As soon she puts the flag up to say I’ve had enough that is it. “She has a very bright future and that is the main reason for saying that.
She will tell us.” Autumn Glow is the first filly to win the Up And Coming Stakes and provided Waller with his second victory in the feature following the success of True Detective in 2019. Meanwhile, jockey Tommy Berry thought runner up Wanaruah lost no admirers in defeat in his first run this spring.
“He is a lovely colt,” he said. “He has a bright future being lightly raced. We got beaten by a very smart filly.
” Snack Bar’s rider Tyler Schiller added the gelding’s run was “massive”. “I thought he quickened up really well in the straight. I think he will benefit a lot from the run,” he said.
.
