The Autumn Sun keeps shining

The 2025/26 season is proving exceptional for The Autumn Sun, with Autumn Glow & Autumn Boy heading the 12 stakes performers that have propelled him into third spot on the Australian General Sires’ Premiership, in the company of Champion Sires Snitzel, Zoustar & I Am Invincible.

But he has plenty of work-in-progress too and some of it was on display at last weekend’s metro meetings at Flemington and Scone.

3YO colt Autumn King (ex Time Check by Shamardal) has built steadily through the season, compiling two wins before a pair of 5th placings at Listed level in Sydney and the Queensland Guineas G2 on 2 May. 

He won the 1600-metre TAB Highway at Scone with second-topweight of 61 kg and overcame a wide run to give trainers Paul Messara & Leah Gavranich their third winner of the meeting, and jockey Aaron Bullock one of his 5 Scone Carnival wins. All going well, he will now target the $300,000 Winx Guineas G3 at the Sunshine Coast on 4 July. 

Autumn Charm (ex Brulee by Hinchinbrook) is The Autumn Sun’s 5th 2YO winner this season after a strong win over Flemington’s 1400 metres at her third start. Trainer Nick Ryan has since reported she pulled up very well and was flown to Queensland on Tuesday evening to prepare for the $1 million BRC Sires’ Produce S. G2 on 30 May. The filly is also nominated for the J.J. Atkins G1 two weeks later and will take her Winter break in the northern sunshine before returning to Melbourne for 3YO Spring racing.

Autumn Charm over the top in the opener at Flemington for @danielstack33 and @nryanracing 🤝 pic.twitter.com/RobQeERyiA

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) May 16, 2026

In Western Australia, the Peters-owned 3YO gelding Pincer Movement (ex Aquarium by Ocean Park), selected by Liam Peters from Bhima’s draft at the 2023 Inglis Australian Weanling Sale, showed the benefit of his patiently managed education across 5 trials to cope with a Heavy10 track and score on debut over 1500 metres at Albany.

Jockey William Pike rated it “A very good performance, Heavy10, first start…it was a very good effort.”

The Autumn Sun’s team for next season includes 3YO Journeyman (ex Dream Tiara by Heart’s Cry), dominant debut winner of a Warwick Farm Super Maiden in February for Richard & Will Freedman; and 2YO The Roaring Sun (ex Let’s Get Loud by Pour Moi), rated a genuine Group horse by the Chris Waller stable after his debut 2nd at Warwick Farm in April.

Also on the team are multiple Group 1-placed 3YO filly After Summer; 3YO stakes performers Aurora Rise & Helioson; 3YO winners Olympian, Peccavi, Sunsprite, Valiant Sun, Verity & Vivid Sun; 2YO stakes performer The Autumn Affair; and 2YO winners Isn’t She Autumn, Satomi & Sunbliss. Olympian, Sunsprite & The Autumn Affair all hold nominations for upcoming Queensland Carnival features. 

As Snitzel tightens his hold on a 5th General Sires’ title, it’s instructive to compare his career record up to May 2013 with The Autumn Sun’s record at the same stage now, in May 2026.

From almost exactly the same number of runners, Snitzel had posted 15 stakeswinners to The Autumn Sun’s current 11, but only one Group 1 winner to The Autumn Sun’s five. It would be almost two years later before Snitzel notched up his 5th elite winner, Sweet Idea in The Galaxy G1 on 21 March 2015. 

He then set sail for his first Premiership in 2016/17. By then, he had 63 stakeswinners, 11 of them at Group 1 level.

The Autumn Sun’s path ahead is very well-lit indeed!