Saturday’s afterglow lights up Sunday’s parade

As the Hunter Valley enjoyed a welcome dose of Spring sunshine, Arrowfield’s 2025 Stallion Parade attracted more than 950 guests & visitors to inspect the Stud’s six stallions, including Dundeel, the new head of the roster, and new addition, Champion 2YO Vandeek.

Sunday’s session also enjoyed the afterglow of Saturday’s 4 stakeswinners by Arrowfield stallions, including Group winners Autumn Glow & Lazzura, plus Winx S. G1 runner-up Aeliana, all three mares trained by Chris Waller who attended the parade, along with fellow Sydney trainers John O’Shea & Gerald Ryan.

Already a Listed and dual Group winner at three, Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun-Via Africa by Var) added the $250,000 ATC Toy Show Quality 1100m G3 to her record with a performance full of class on testing Heavy10 ground, posting the day’s fastest time of 34.23 for the last 600 metres.

Autumn Glow turns on the sparkle! ✨

The @cwallerracing star remains unbeaten, and takes the G3 Toy Show Quality in style! 🤩@mcacajamez @aus_turf_club @ArrowfieldStud pic.twitter.com/Aojyn35214

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) August 23, 2025

Jockey James McDonald said, “She has always shown so much. The thing is we haven’t even scratched the surface in terms of putting her under a lot of pressure.

“Whatever she has done so far, Chris has just wrapped her in cotton wool. She is doing it all on her own. When she starts with the sword put to her, she will respond really well.”

One of 9 stakeswinners by Champion 3YO The Autumn Sun, Autumn Glow will likely now head towards the Theo Marks S. G2 at Rosehill on 13 September before a crack at the $1.5 million Epsom H. G1 over 1600m at Randwick on 4 October. 

The first Group 1 race of the Australian season, the $1 million Winx S. 1400m G1 produced a quinella for the Waller stable, as champion mare Via Sistina repeated her 2024 victory in fine style, but was pressed by the runner-up, sensational Australian Derby G1 winner Aeliana (Castelvecchio-Temolie by Star Witness). 

Lazzura (Snitzel-Laguna Azzurra by Heart’s Cry) completed the sequence of major results at Randwick with an authoritative victory in the $250,000 Show County Quality 1200m G3, her third stakes success for B2B Thoroughbreds who purchased her for $500,000 from Arrowfield at Magic Millions 2023. 

All of Chris Waller’s 7 other Phar Lap stakes winners won at Group 1 level as well, and Lazzura will have the chance to join them, possibly in the $1 million Sir Rupert Clarke S. G1 at Caulfield on 20 September.

Less than 20 minutes after Lazzura’s win, Arrowfield graduate Baraqiel (Snitzel-Angel of Mercy by Hussonet) resumed with a a 1.25-length victory in the $175,000 Carlyon S. 1000m LR at The Valley, where he took out last October’s McEwen S. G2. 

A $150,000 purchase from Arrowfield’s Magic Millions 2018 draft, Baraqiel has now won $674,000 for his Bennett Racing owners and trainers Leon & Troy Corstens and Will Larkin, and will return to The Valley for the $750,000 Moir S. G1 on 6 September and the $2 million Manikato S. G1 on 26 September.

The final flourish on Arrowfield’s wonderful day was delivered by Not A Single Doubt’s 85th stakeswinner, 5YO gelding Cafe Millenium (ex Veloce Forte by High Chaparral), who landed the $120,000 SAJC Leon Macdonald S. 1400m LR at Morphettville. 

A home-bred for two of Not A Single Doubt’s most ardent supporters, Ron Finemore & John Leaver, Cafe Millenium won the 2022 Pierro Plate at his juvenile debut, and was 3rd, behind Dundeel’s sons Celestial Legend & Militarize in the 2024 Randwick Guineas G1. He has now  won two of his last 4 starts for Ben, Will & JD Hayes, taking his earnings close to $400,000.