James McDonald is not quite ready to rank Autumn Glow alongside the Hong Kong sensation Romantic Warrior, yet he acknowledges she is heading in that direction.
Delivering a display that left McDonald with goosebumps, the mare claimed a 2-1/2 length victory against Aeliana during Saturday’s Apollo Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, pushing her perfect record to nine straight wins.
Romantic Warrior boasts 15 triumphs from 20 outings, including eight successes with McDonald aboard, and although the gelding sets the standard for the top jockey, he believes Autumn Glow could join that elite group if she maintains her progress.
“It’s very special. Just the way and the ease with which she’s doing it,” McDonald said.
“You’ve got to remember, there were a lot of stayers in the race. But I’m riding a very good horse in Hong Kong (Romantic Warrior) and she’s on a trajectory where she is improving all the time, she is lightly raced, and let’s just say, the world is her oyster.”
The mare was breathtaking, settling behind the leaders before cruising past her competitors and powering away decisively.
For Chris Waller, her trainer, this confirms she is back at peak fitness as he ponders the ideal path forward for her spring campaign.
“The first run of the prep is the most important. It tells you where they are,” Waller said.
“You can have as many track gallops, trials and exhibition gallops but until they’re under race pressure, you don’t really know.
“It tells me she’s in a pretty good position.”
Autumn Glow’s upcoming races include the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) and George Ryder Stakes (1500m), after which her team will choose between staying at the mile or going up to the 2000m of the Queen Elizabeth Stakes.
Should she target the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, an encounter with Aeliana seems likely, as the latter impressed Waller on her comeback.
“Aeliana was brilliant. It was good to see she can take up a spot if she needs to as well. She was put in the race and she was still strong late,” he said.
Lindermann took third place, securing Waller the trifecta, but Joe Pride faced disappointment with Ceolwulf finishing sixth and showing blood from both nostrils after the Apollo Stakes. Check the Australian betting sites for the best odds on her next appearance.
The gelding underwent scoping on Saturday afternoon to check for an internal bleed, which carries a mandatory three-month racing suspension.
Pride went on to win the Triscay Stakes (1200m) with Weeping Woman just 40 minutes afterward, though Ceolwulf’s issue diminished the joy from his stablemate’s effort.
“I’m hoping more than anything (that it wasn’t a bleed),” Pride said.
“It’s not presenting typically like a bleeder would present. It sucked the life out of that win for me.”
Weeping Woman ($3.40 favourite) notched her initial Group-level success in the Triscay Stakes, prevailing by 1-1/4 lengths from Manaal ($4.20) with Verona Rose ($12) closing strongly for third, just a half-neck further back.
The post McDonald, Waller bask in Autumn Glow’s stunning return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.