The Autumn Sun’s 7th stakeswinner
10 per cent of The Autumn Sun's runners are stakes performers, headed by three G1 winners and brilliant filly Autumn Glow. (PHOTO: Joan Faras)
Matusalem fulfilled the promise he’s shown since his first win as a Spring 3YO to take out Thursday’s $200,000 Albury Gold Cup 2000m LR and become The Autumn Sun’s 7th stakeswinner.
The 4YO gelding responded generously under pressure to defeat Beltoro & My Brothers Keeper in 2:00.53 and take his career record to 6 wins and $620,000 prizemoney. Four of those victories have come this season, along with a close 2nd in last month’s Canberra Cup LR.
He’s now eligible for next season’s $3 million Big Dance at Randwick on 4 November.
Matusalem sticks the neck out to win the Albury Gold Cup for @cwallerracing! 🏆 pic.twitter.com/9IGITWKdcv
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) April 17, 2025
Matusalem, bred by Arrowfield & Hermitage Thoroughbreds from the wonderful, now-retired broodmare Miss Dodwell (by Falbrav), was a $500,000 purchase from Arrowfield’s Inglis Easter 2022 draft by his trainer Chris Waller & Mulcaster Bloodstock.
A winning half-sister of Group winner Yammer and Listed winner Blab (dam of G1-winning filly Speak Fondly), Miss Dodwell is also the dam of dual Group 1 winner Kenedna, and multiple Group winner & sire Spill The Beans. She completed her breeding career with two fillies by The Autumn Sun: the 2YO Witter is in the Busuttin & Young stable and the yearling was purchased for $400,000 by the Waller & Mulcaster team, with Adam Brandwood’s ARJB Racing at the Inglis Easter Sale earlier this month.
It’s been a very good month for The Autumn Sun, who returns to active duty in 2025 after making a full recovery from the injury that kept him out of the serving barn last Spring.
His 12 Inglis Easter yearlings averaged $340,000 with a top price of $675,000 paid by New Zealand-based agent & investor Craig Ramsay for Arrowfield’s filly out of Chanteuse.
Know Thyself won the $1 million Country Championships Final at Randwick, Sky Jewellery & Another Zonda have both won in Hong Kong, and on Saturday he added a new stakes performer, 3YO gelding Plymouth (3rd, Frank Packer Plate G3).
The Autumn Sun’s 7 stakeswinners from 159 runners is comparable to Snitzel’s record of 7 stakeswinners from 180 runners at the same stage – with the difference that Snitzel was yet to post a Group 1 winner, while The Autumn Sun has 3 on the board.
