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Autumn Glow shines again in George Ryder

21st Mar 2026

Arguably the greatest chapter in the Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) fairytale so far played out at Rosehill today when the undefeated wonder mare scored a breathtaking victory in the G1 George Ryder Stakes.

Now an 11-time winner from as many starts, Autumn Glow had already asserted herself the best thoroughbred in the country and one of the best in the world prior to today’s race.

But the ease and arrogance with which she won today suggested somehow, her best is still ahead of her.

The Chris Waller-trained Autumn Glow (pictured) is a $1.8m Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Arrowfield Stud and Hermitage Thoroughbreds.

Bred by Newhaven Park Stud – who will offer a Dundeel filly at next week’s Easter Sale out of Protea, herself a half sister to Autumn Glow - she was offered by Silverdale Farm at Easter in 2023 and is now a winner of $8,162,000.

When asked if today’s was her best performance yet, Arrowfield’s John Messara said: “It looked that way, didn’t it. She had seven Group 1 winners behind her and she won with consummate ease, beyond what I thought could happen.

“I’m always nervous because things happen in racing but I think she really asserted herself today, in a great field.

“The crowd love her, don’t they, and I’m happy to share her with them.’’

Arrowfield will be back at Easter this coming week, both as a buyer and seller.

They will offer a draft of 65 yearlings, which Messara described as “outstanding’’.

“It’s a phenomenal draft, really outstanding I believe,’’ he said.

“We’ve got a marvellous run of fillies and some truly outstanding colts and I’m really proud of the draft as a whole.’’

Silverdale’s Steve Grant was in awe of the atmosphere at Rosehill today, with a large crowd trackside primarily to see Autumn Glow.

“That was awesome, such an incredible experience to witness that and hear the crowd cheering behind us,’’ Grant said.

“This whole story, it’s less about how we feel but we’re just so happy for the Messara family and Hermitage.

“It’s an enormous feeling when you have something like her come through our system and work through the same process that everything else goes through, yet becomes so much better, it’s enormous to see what she’s doing for our farm.’’

Silverdale will offer a 14-strong draft at Easter, for which parades begin at Riverside on Monday.

“Rob [Petith] and the team have done an unbelievable job with the Easter draft, they’ve put together the best draft we’ve ever presented,’’ Grant added.

To view the Easter catalogue CLICK HERE.

Earlier at Rosehill Beskar (Snitzel) capped off a big 20 minutes for Dean Hawthorne and Pinecliff Racing’s Jonathan Munz when winning the Listed Darby Munro Stakes.

Beskar’s win came shortly after another Hawthorne/Munz yearling purchase – Easter graduate Getta Good Feeling - proved too strong at G3 level in Melbourne.

Hawthorne bought Beskar – on behalf of Munz – for $600,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale, where he was offered by Widden Stud, who bred the now-3YO with Hesket Bloodstock and Procyon Services.

The result was a blow-out for punters, with the Anthony and Sam Freedman-trained Beskar winning at $81.

“We’ve always had a bit of an opinion of him, we took him to Queensland last year and things just didn’t work out but they worked out for him today,’’ co-trainer Anthony Freedman said

“He had run 3^rd in a Group 3 in Melbourne last start, why was he $81? I sure don’t know, it was just a stupid price!

“He’s a horse with good talent who we’ve taken some time to work out fully but he might really go on with it now.’’

Beskar led in a trifecta of Inglis graduates, defeating Agarwood and Caffe Florian.

Meanwhile the G1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville looms as the autumn grand final for exciting filly Getta Good Feeling (So You Think) following her effortless win in today’s G3 Alexandra Stakes at Caulfield.

The win was the second from two starts this preparation for the Danny O’Brien-trained filly, having resumed with victory in the $1m Inglis Sprint at Flemington three weeks ago.

Getta Good Feeling is raced by Munz, whose bloodstock agent Hawthorne signed for the filly at $525,000 from Milburn Creek at the Easter Yearling Sale.

The Phoenix Broodmare Farm-bred Getta Good Feeling led in an Inglis graduates trifecta today, defeating Classic Gem and Morgana.

The Australasian Oaks will be run on April 25.

And progressive 3YO Roulette King (Casino Prince) made it three wins from four starts at Caulfield, producing a barnstorming turn of foot to win the G2 Alister Clark Stakes.

Trained by Trevor Rogers at Cranbourne, Roulette King is a $50,000 Premier Yearling Sale purchase for Tom Templeton from the draft of Bombora Downs.

Bred by Quilly Park, Roulette King has now won almost $400,000 in his short career.

In Perth today exciting 2YO Aurum Belle (Snitzel) made it two wins from as many starts with a spectacular victory in the Listed Supremacy Stakes at Ascot.

The juvenile debuted with a 2.1 length win last month and backed that up with today’s 1.9 length victory in a slick time of 57.92secs.

Aurum Belle is a $725,000 Easter Yearling Sale purchase for trainer Neville Parnham and Ridgeport’s Santo Guagliardo, from the draft of The Chase.

She is bred by China Horse Club and Go Bloodstock.

“She’s a real firecracker but she’s got a great brain to her and really knows when it’s race day,’’ Guagliardo said.

“She was super impressive again today and the time, wow, it was so quick.

“She’s the most expensive horse we’ve ever bought and I was at the end of my tether with the bidding, I didn’t have much left but it’s nice to have a really exciting filly.

“She’ll go to the [G3] Gimcrack Stakes next over 1100m and then the [G2] Karrakatta Plate over 1200m and hopefully we can have a lot of fun with her.’’

Today’s racing provided some significant pedigree updates for several mares entered for The Chairman’s Sale.

Lumosity is a half sister to G1 William Reid winner Jigsaw and will be offered at Chairman’s, in foal to Broadsiding.

And the dams of the G1 Golden Slipper quinella – Flamboyant Lass (Guest House) and Zouper Star (Streisand) – are also both entered for the sale, which will be held at Riverside on the evening of Thursday May 7.

The Chairman’s Sale catalogue will be released in coming days.