Arrowfield stallions dominate 2025/26 awards
Autumn Glow is the 10th mare this century to win Australia's Champion Racehorse of the Year title, after Via Sistina, Pride of Jenni, Verry Elleegant, Winx, Black Caviar, Typhoon Tracy, Miss Andretti, Makybe Diva & Sunline. (PHOTO: Bronwen Healy)
Arrowfield celebrated a stellar Night of Champions at Royal Randwick on Thursday evening with four of the Stud’s stallions collecting 8 of the 19 State and National Awards for the 2025/26 season presented by the NSW Racehorse Owners Association & Racing Australia.
The Autumn Sun’s champion daughter from his second crop, Autumn Glow was named NSW & Australian Horse of the Year after a spectacular 4YO campaign, winning 7 of her eight starts including the George Ryder Stakes, Verry Elleegant Stakes & Epsom Handicap at Group 1 level, plus the $10 million Golden Eagle. She has already opened her 5YO season with a dominant victory in last Saturday’s Winx S. G1.
Autumn Glow is the third Australian Horse of the Year sired by an Arrowfield stallion, after Weekend Hussler (by Hussonet) in 2007/08 and Lankan Rupee (by Redoute’s Choice) in 2013/14. She is raced by Arrowfield in partnership with Hermitage Thoroughbreds, trained by Chris Waller (Australia’s Champion Group 1 trainer for the 14th consecutive season) and was ridden in 2025/26 by Kerrin McEvoy & James McDonald (named Champion Group 1 jockey for the 6th time).
Autumn Boy, from The Autumn Sun’s third crop, is the season’s Champion 3YO Colt after winning the Caulfield Guineas G1 last Spring and the Rosehill Guineas G1 in the Autumn. He is the 7th Arrowfield-sired male to win that title this century, after The Autumn Sun, Trapeze Artist, Shamus Award, Star Witness, Weekend Hussler & Fairway.
Champion Sire of the Year for 5th time was Snitzel, who died in June 2025 and then proceeded to compile one of the best seasons of his two-decade career, featuring 6 individual Group 1 winners among 17 individual Australian stakeswinners and earnings of $26 million.
NSW awards recognised the Queen of the Autumn, Idle Flyer (by Dundeel), who led home Lady Shenandoah, Treasurethe Moment & Pride of Jenni in the Queen of the Turf S. G1, and Aeliana (by Castelvecchio) whose Group 1 Ranvet & Tancred Stakes earned her the state’s Champion Stayer award.
The list of 8 equine awards won by Snitzel and the progeny of The Autumn Sun, Dundeel & Castelvecchio is:
AUSTRALIAN HORSE OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNERS
Horse of the Year: AUTUMN GLOW (by The Autumn Sun)
Champion 3YO Colt: AUTUMN BOY (The Autumn Sun)
Champion Middle Distance Horse: AUTUMN GLOW (The Autumn Sun)
Champion Sire of the Year: SNITZEL
NSW RACEHORSE OWNERS ASSOCIATION AWARD WINNERS
TAB NSW Champion Horse of the Year: AUTUMN GLOW (The Autumn Sun)
Wild Oaks NSW Champion Miler: AUTUMN GLOW (The Autumn Sun)
NSW Champion Stayer: AELIANA (Castelvecchio)
Baumgartners NSW Queen of the Autumn: IDLE FLYER (Dundeel)
