“We’re looking at greatness”

Racecaller Darren Flindell said it, as The Autumn Sun’s exceptional 4YO daughter Autumn Glow rose to meet her sternest challenge yet and win Saturday’s $10 million Golden Eagle over 1500 metres on a testing Soft7 track at Royal Randwick.

Unbeaten in her 7 previous starts including the Epsom H. G1, Autumn Glow attracted record support from punters across Australia and started a $1.75 favourite in a field that included last season’s Australian & Randwick Guineas winners Feroce & Linebacker, and this season’s Group 1 sprint winner Sepals.

She jumped well from gate 8 and intially settled midfield, three off the rail, then moved up to sit outside Linebacker as Perfumist led the field through the 800-metre mark. 

Jockey James McDonald drove Autumn Glow forward into the firing-line before the turn and 300 metres out she hit the front with Sepals right behind her and Evaporate launching late, before she powered clear to score by 1.25 lengths in 1:29.72, with a last 600m time of 36.76. 

A real golden girl!

Autumn Glow lands as the next big thing, and soars past them to take the Golden Eagle – and she remains unbeaten! 🦅 🤩@cwallerracing @mcacajamez @ArrowfieldStud @aus_turf_club pic.twitter.com/GIsuQiFvQY

— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) November 1, 2025

James said, “She gives me that ooh la la feeling. I don’t think we’ve seen the best version of her yet either. So just incredible. We’re so lucky to have her. She can be out on her feet and she just keeps finding. She’s incredible, I’m telling you. She is fair dinkum.

“She knew she was in a race today and it was all due to the heavy ground. It was very testing out there for her. We had to ride her a certain way to obviously win, and she was good enough to do it.

“She’s incredible how you can give her a kick out of the gates and she just comes back, switches off and goes again. She absorbs pressure, she’s got an incredible turn of foot and we’re lucky to have her.”

Trainer Chris Waller said, “She’s a star. It’s as simple as that. She does it each and every time.

“That heart and determination and presence that she has is really quite special. For her to open the shoulders up at the 100 metre mark was pretty special to watch.”

However, Chris was quick to dismiss any expectation of matching Hall of Famer Winx’s extraordinary 33-in-a-row winning record.

“No chance. I don’t care if she gets beaten, she’s a star in herself and the sequence is irrelevant.”

The winning charity Friends of the Mater Foundation will receive $525,000 from Autumn Glow’s share of the prizemoney which has boosted her earnings to $7.35 million after 8 wins including the Epsom G1, and four other stakes victories.

The Autumn Sun rises to the No. 1 spot on the earnings-based Australian General Sires’ Premiership with $10.4 million prizemoney and two other Group winners this Spring: Autumn Boy (Caulfield Guineas G1) & Autumn Mystery (Caulfield Classic G3).

Autumn Glow is one of 5 Group 1 winners by The Autumn Sun and the second Group 1 winner, after Golden Rose winner In The Congo (by Snitzel), out of the Champion South African Sprinter Via Africa (by Storm Cat’s grandson Var).

Bred by the Kelly family’s Newhaven Park Stud, she was a $600,000 Magic Millions weanling purchase by Shrone Bloodstock & Silverdale Farm which re-sold her for a sale-topping $1.8 million at Inglis Easter 2023 to Arrowfield & Hermitage Thoroughbreds. 

Autumn Glow will now head to the spelling paddock for an early summer break and, all going well, will return for Autumn carnival racing.