News

Autumn Glow, Growing Empire star as 3YOs excite

31st Aug 2024

Two of Australia’s most exciting 3YOs scored devastating G3 victories within an explosive 20 minute period in two States today as the Spring Racing Carnival continued to heat up.

Electrifying filly Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) surged into a $2.20 favourite with Ladbrokes for the G1 Flight Stakes with an emphatic win against the boys in the Up And Coming Stakes at Rosehill.

While untapped colt Growing Empire (Zoustar) scored a dominant first-up victory in the McNeil Stakes at Caulfield, announcing himself a G1 player of the carnival.

It was all about Autumn Glow (pictured) at Rosehill, who was the talk of the track following her phenomenal victory.

Bred by Newhaven Park, Autumn Glow topped the 2023 Easter Yearling Sale when offered by Silverdale Farm.

Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds teamed up to buy her for $1.8m.

Today’s win was her second from as many starts and she appears to be one of the most exciting fillies seen on an Australian racetrack in many season.

While the G1 Golden Rose is a consideration for owners, it appears the Chris Waller-trained 3YO will most likely stick to fillies races for the remainder of the preparation and target the Flight Stakes at Randwick on October 5, via the G2 Tea Rose Stakes on September 21.

“She’s a very good filly. How good? It’s too early to tell but she wasn’t far outside the class record today,’’ Arrowfield principal John Messara said.

“We were a bit worried with how the track was playing but we think she’s a bit special this girl. She looked special when she was a yearling at Inglis Easter, she’s trained like a special horse, her first start win was very gratifying and we came here with a fair bit of confidence today.

“This is also great for her sire The Autumn Sun. His progeny just want to be 3YOs and beyond, people make judgments too early too often, I’ve seen it all before, they just have to be patient because he’s a very, very good stallion, mark my words.’’

Waller added: “She’s a very, very serious horse, she’s got a very bright future. Today was a bigger level to what she won on debut and she had to take the necessary step, but she did.’’

Autumn Glow led in an Inglis Easter graduates quinella in the Up And Coming, defeating Wanaruah.

At Caulfield, trainer Ciaron Maher hopes G3 McNeil Stakes winner Growing Empire can emulate the feats of the last colt out of the stable to win the same race – Merchant Navy – and progress on to the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes later in the spring.

Growing Empire resumed with a devastating victory in the 3YO Victorian feature, scoring an arrogant win against quality opposition.

The Maher camp used the McNeil Stakes to kick off Easter Yearling Sale superstar Merchant Navy’s spring campaign seven years ago, which ended in victory in the stallion-making Coolmore Stud Stakes at Flemington on Derby Day.

And the trainer believes Growing Empire can produce something similar this preparation.

“He’s a very exciting colt, very progressive, he’s on a Coolmore path and he’s started the prep well,’’ Maher said.

“He’s always had that really good ability, he’s spelled well at Yulong and he’s come back so well.

“You could still see late there’s still a lot more there, he wobbles around a bit and that’s why we wanted to get him to the races now, he needs that bit of experience.

“We’ll get him to Flemington, he can have a couple of looks down the straight and hopefully he’s right to go for Derby Day.’’

Bred by Pat Hodgens, Neil Werrett and Steve McCann, Growing Empire is a $700,000 Easter Yearling Sale buy for Yulong from the Vinery Stud draft.

He will contest the Poseidon Stakes and Danehill Stakes – both down the Flemington straight – ahead of his grand final, the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes, also at Flemington, in early November, for which he is now a $5 favourite with Ladbrokes.

Also at Caulfield today, prolific winner Rise At Dawn (Almanzor) made it seven victories from 12 starts with an astonishing fightback win in the Listed Heatherlie Stakes.

The Lindsay Park-trained 4YO led them into the home straight and was headed by as many as four rivals before lifting himself off the canvas to fight back and score an admiral victory.

Rise At Dawn is a $90,000 Premier Yearling Sale purchase for his trainers from the draft of his breeder Monovale.

“He’s tough, so tough, he was definitely headed and fought back and we really didn’t get out of our chairs until the last 50m. It was a great win,’’ winning co-trainer JD Hayes said.

“He’s incredible, we’ve just ever so slightly kept raising the bar with him and full credit goes to the horse, he’s been up a long time, it’s just an incredible result.’’