Autumn Glow Apollo Stakes return could scarcely have been more emphatic, the unbeaten mare announcing her arrival for the Sydney autumn with a performance of rare polish at Randwick. First-up against proven elite company, she settled, travelled and then quickened clear in a manner that left seasoned rivals chasing shadows.
The daughter of The Autumn Sun carried the familiar silks of Chris Waller and looked every inch the top-liner as she put a high-class field to the sword in the Group 2 Apollo Stakes. Now nine from nine, she added further lustre to a record that continues to grow in both substance and scale.
Her return hinted at a campaign that could take in the season’s major weight-for-age tests. A second-up tilt at the Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes at Randwick is on the table, followed by the George Ryder Stakes at Rosehill on Golden Slipper Day and a possible Queen of the Turf Stakes during The Championships back at Randwick. Those targets would see her measure herself against the best of her generation across the key autumn features.
Autumn Glow Apollo Stakes performance sets the tone
Purchased as a yearling for $1.8 million, Autumn Glow has long carried expectation. Trackside, Arrowfield principal John Messara watched on with quiet satisfaction as the mare powered away late, her margin reflecting not just fitness but class. The victory lifted her career earnings to just shy of $7 million, a tally befitting her growing reputation.
Waller was typically measured in the aftermath, noting that no amount of preparation can replicate race-day pressure. The response he received confirmed the mare is where she needs to be at this stage of the campaign.
Earlier on the card, Waller’s stable again came to the fore when Joliestar led home a trifecta of graduates in the Group 2 Expressway Stakes. The five-year-old, renowned for her sharpness fresh, dug deep to hold stablemate Lady Shenandoah and Caballus, underlining her consistency at the top level. The win took Joliestar’s earnings beyond $6.7 million and set her up for a likely next appearance in the Canterbury Stakes at Randwick.
The Randwick program also showcased the depth among the three-year-old fillies. Savvy Hallie proved too strong in the Light Fingers Stakes, confirming her place among the leading fillies of her crop and opening up options across both Sydney and Melbourne for her next assignment.
Down in Melbourne, Flemington delivered its own share of talking points. Sass Appeal made light work of the Desirable Stakes, controlling the race from the front to secure her first piece of black type. The lightly raced filly continues to progress with each outing and is set to remain against her own age and sex in the coming weeks.
The staying power of Sixties was on show in the CS Hayes Stakes, his win earning him a place in the Australian Guineas field. Consistent through the spring and into summer, he has now strung together a sequence that marks him as a genuine contender at the mile.
Among the juveniles, Hard Kick produced one of the most striking two-year-old wins of the season in the Talindert Stakes, bounding clear to stamp himself as a colt of real promise. His performance adds further intrigue to the approaching Blue Diamond Stakes at Caulfield, while other young winners across Sydney and Melbourne underlined the strength of the current crop.
Across two states, the day belonged to quality and depth: established stars returning in peak order, emerging fillies making their mark, and juveniles beginning to sketch the shape of the spring to come. For Randwick in particular, the afternoon felt like the true opening chapter of autumn — and Autumn Glow’s return was the headline act.
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