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Autumn Glow caps perfect spring with Champions Mile victory

7th Nov 2026

Autumn Glow’s perfect spring preparation concluded with a sixth career G1 victory today thanks to a typically emphatic performance in the Champions Mile at Flemington.

The Chris Waller-trained 5YO mare was at her illustrious best at what was her first run at Flemington, the winning margin of 1.3 lengths barely indicative of the ease of the victory.

Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) is now a 15-time winner from 16 starts and has earned $14.6m in prizemoney.

Today’s success capped off an unbeaten campaign for the mighty mare which also included wins in the G1 Winx Stakes, G1 King Charles III Stakes and G2 Seven Stakes.

Arrowfield and The Hermitage teamed up to buy Autumn Glow from the Easter Yearling Sale for $1.8m.

Bred by Newhaven Park, she was offered by Silverdale Farm at Easter.

The Hermitage’s Shannon Clarke was trackside at Flemington today to witness another stirring victory by the reigning Australian Horse of the Year.

“It’s a dream come true,’’ Clarke said.

“You’ve seen champions in the past like Black Caviar and Makybe Diva and Winx and you never think you’re going to be involved with one like it. I don’t think she’s at their level just yet but she’s on her way.

“She’s only lightly raced for a 5YO mare. They’re etched in gold those other three horses and we just hope she’s going to be up there by the time she’s finished her career.’’

Today’s victory capped a huge Melbourne Cup Week for The Hermitage, who enjoyed other G1 success with fellow Inglis graduates Lady Shenandoah (Empire Rose Stakes) and Stormy Marco (Victoria Derby) on the opening day of the carnival.

“This is the cherry on top,’’ Clarke continued.

“It’s been an amazing week. [Hermitage owner] Eugene [Chuang] always watches, I always get the strong arm emoji and party cracker emoji from him after the wins. He doesn’t miss anything and he’s extremely proud of everything we’ve achieved so far.

“We bought Autumn Glow and Lady Shenandoah from the same Easter Sale – and Stormy Marco was from Easter too – so it’s been a very successful sale for us and we love the Easter Sale and can’t wait for next year already.’’

Arrowfield’s John Messara added: “We’re so pleased she was able to win at Flemington, that was a box we really wanted her to tick.

“Arrowfield obviously stands The Autumn Sun, which raced in the Hermitage colours and I rang them one day and said ‘I’m going to buy a filly at Inglis Easter that I like very much…and if we can manage this filly in the right way, she might be really good for our stallion’ and straight away they said they’d come in 50/50 with us. It’s been quite the journey since.’’

Autumn Glow is one of 129 individual G1-winning Inglis graduates since 2018.

Earlier on the Flemington card Watchme Win (Harry Angel) scored a deserved black type victory in the Listed Fisher Stakes.

The 6YO has been a consistent performer for trainer Andrew Gluyas, who teamed up with former training partner Leon Macdonald to purchase Watchme Win for $160,000 at the Premier Yearling Sale.

Watchme Win was offered by Noorilim Park at Premier, on behalf of his breeders the Toorak Thoroughbred Breeding Trust.

“He’s very honest and is always around the mark,’’ Gluyas said.

“[Jockey] Blake [Shinn] took a small margin of a gap to get the winning run and we’re very excited.

“We all work hard throughout the year so to pop up and win a race like this on a day like this during the carnival here is very rewarding for everyone involved.’’