Chris Waller’s rising star Autumn Glow ($1.75F) has stretched her unbeaten streak to eight with a dazzling victory in the $10 million Golden Eagle at Randwick.

Ridden perfectly by James McDonald, the four-year-old mare sat three-wide with cover before unleashing a powerful burst to win by 1¼ lengths over Sepals, with Evaporate another neck away in third.

Waller praised the mare and the growing stature of the race.
“This race is gaining momentum, I actually thought it was a Group 1 race,” he said. “It’s a race that’s held on the world stage, a high benchmark, and that’s why we decided to run her here.”

McDonald was glowing in his assessment.
“She gives me that ooh-la-la feeling. I’d love to see her in a Cox Plate,” he said. “She just keeps finding — she’s fair dinkum.”

Despite comparisons to Winx, Waller was quick to downplay them, saying: “No chance… she’s a star in herself.”