Australia: Autumn Glow continues march toward stardom in Golden Eagle

The remarkable aspect surrounding the early career of the Australian filly Autumn Glow is trainer Chris Waller’s assessment of her undefeated record after seven starts.

“We don’t know good she is yet,” Waller recently told the Australian press.

This from a man who trains current Australian Horse of the Year Via Sistina, who won seven Group 1 races in the 2024-2025 season, and Winx, the incredibly popular mare who was Australia’s Horse of the Year for three consecutive seasons, ending in 2017-2018. Winx won the final 33 races of a career that included 37 wins in 43 starts.

Autumn Glow won her Group 1 debut in the Epsom Handicap at a mile at Royal Randwick on Oct. 4 and starts in the richest race of her career in the $6.55 million Golden Eagle Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 4-year-olds at Randwick on Saturday.

The Golden Eagle Stakes, run at 7 1/2 furlongs, has a post time of 1:45 a.m. Eastern on Saturday or 10:45 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

:: Get free past performances, analysis, and picks for international racing, including Australia

Autumn Glow was the even-money favorite in early betting on Thursday. Aside from the Epsom Handicap, she has won three Group 2 or Group 3 stakes at distances ranging from six to seven furlongs.

Autumn Glow, who will be ridden by James McDonald, often races as a stalker. She has an advantageous draw in post 9 in a field of 16 for that style.

Of the four other 2025 Group 1 or Grade 1 winners in the field, two of them – Linebacker and Panja Tower - are recognized as the most significant threats to beat Autumn Glow.

Linebacker won the Group 1 Randwick Guineas at a mile in March and lost his next two starts before rebounding to win the Silver Eagle Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs at Randwick on Oct. 18.

Panja Tower won the Grade 1 NHK Mile for Northern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at Tokyo Racecourse in Japan in May, paying $84.80 in American pools, and won his only subsequent start in the Grade 3 Keeneland Cup at six furlongs at Sapporo Racecourse on Aug. 24.

The Golden Eagle Stakes is being run for the first time at Randwick after being held at nearby Rosehill Gardens Racecourse. Randwick typically draws larger crowds than Rosehill Gardens.

Earlier on the Randwick program, Jimmysstar, third by about 1 1/2 lengths in the Group 1, $13.09 million Everest Stakes at Randwick on Oct. 18, will be favored in the $1.96 million Russell Balding Stakes at 6 1/2 furlongs.

Jimmysstar is part of a field of 14 that includes Briasa, a Group 1 winner at six furlongs in April who was eighth in the Everest Stakes.

Victoria Derby leads Flemington program

The four-day Melbourne Cup carnival begins on Saturday at Flemington Racecourse, highlighted by the Group 1 Melbourne Cup, which will be held on Monday evening across American time zones.

Saturday’s program has three Group 1 races led by the $1.31 million Victoria Derby for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at 1 9/16 miles.

Observer, winner of the Group 2 Vase Stakes at about 1 1/4 miles at Moonee Valley on Oct. 25, will be favored. Providence, a maiden after eight starts, was the 6-1 second choice in early betting. Providence, trained by Waller, was second by a half-length in the Vase Stakes.

The Victoria Derby has a post time of 1:20 a.m. Eastern on Saturday or 10:20 p.m. Pacific on Friday.

The Waller-trained Beiwacht, who won the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes at seven furlongs at Rosehill Gardens on Sept. 27, and Tentyris, the winner of three sprint stakes this year, were 3-1 co-favorites in early betting for the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at six furlongs.

Pride of Jenni, Australian Horse of the Year in the 2023-2024 season, is part of a field of 11 fillies and mares in the Group 1 Empire Rose Stakes at a mile.

Pride of Jenni won the Group 2 Feehan Stakes at a mile at Moonee Valley on Sept. 26, but was seventh of 12 in the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes at a mile on Oct. 18, fading from the front after setting the pace.

Pride of Jenni was 4-1 in early betting, behind 3-1 Fangirl, who closed from 11th in the King Charles III Stakes to finish sixth by slightly more than 2 1/2 lengths.

:: Want to learn more about handicapping and wagering? Check out DRF's Handicapping 101 and Wagering 101 pages.