Three-year-old summary: Autumn Glow dazzles in Tea Rose triumph, leading The Autumn Sun quinella

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Autumn Glow worth every million with G2 Tea Rose win

The G2 Tea Rose S. was one of the hottest fields on Saturday’s Randwick meeting with multiple stakes winning 3-year-old fillies lined up, but it was the $1.8 million Easter sale topper Autumn Glow (The Autumn Sun) who prevailed with a glamorous 1.16l victory for jockey James McDonald and trainer Chris Waller. She is now unbeaten in three starts and will head to the G1 Flight S. next. “She's the spitting image of her dad. The closest I've seen to (any other horse) doing so,” said trainer Chris Waller.

Snow In May made it a quinella for The Autumn Sun with a diving effort to nose out brilliant filly Manaal (Tassort) for second.

“We rode her a little bit closer today. There were no instructions. We just said to James, 'Make sure she's happy and comfortable,' and James said, 'She's got a beautiful action (and) I'm not going to take it away from her. So just have her comfortable, and that's what he did,” said Waller.

“She's probably a little bit foreign in that territory, but she's all class. And if we get a perfect draw in the Flight Stakes, we can go back to riding her where we need to if she's comfortable. We haven't asked her at home because she's still immature. So she does it on race day. She goes home and she's looked after. So, you see just as much as I.

“We're scared to ask too much at home, and that's the end of her preparation. So we're just taking her quietly. She's improving with each run, being trained that way. We've got one race to go. I don't think we'll go too far beyond that.”

The Autumn Sun’s injury that has meant he’ll miss this breeding season is proving to be more of a loss every day, and hopefully he recovers for next season, as he now has five stakes winners, all fillies, including three Group 1 winners, and Autumn Glow certainly looks like she’s heading in a similar direction.

Bred by Newhaven Park Stud, Autumn Glow was offered by them at the 2022 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale, where Silverdale Farm purchased her for $600,000. They presented her at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale where she topped the sale at $1.8million to the bid of Arrowfield Pastoral and Hermitage Thoroughbreds.

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A three-quarter sister to 2021 G1 Golden Rose winner In The Congo (Snitzel), their dam Via Africa (Saf) (Var {USA}) was rated South Africa’s Champion Sprinter in 2013/14 with 10 wins including three at Group 1 level. Her first foal, Pleasant Endeavor (Redoute’s Choice) has won six races in Hong Kong, while she’s been very unlucky since Autumn Glow’s birth, producing two still born Snitzel foals in succession.

Angel Capital aimed at both Coolmore and Guineas

Clinton McDonald is building a powerful stable of 3-year-olds, with colt Angel Capital (Harry Angel {Ire}) joining his sprinting star Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}) after clinching victory in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude by 0.46l under jockey Ben Melham. Public Attention (NZ) (Written Tycoon), trained by Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr, finished second, followed closely by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott's Wanaruah (Snitzel) in third.

Angel Capital is now unbeaten at three, having won the Listed Mitchell McKenzie S. last start, while at two he had a win from three starts. He now has earnings over $340,000 and adds to Mill Park Stud’s exemplary Group-producing record, as he was sold by the South Australian farm for $400,000 at the 2023 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale to Upper Bloodstock.

“Big thanks to the staff, especially Tarni, who looks after him. So, it’s just nice to put yourself on the line and see the horse reward you like that,” McDonald said. “We do think he’ll run a mile.

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“Obviously, that was a great win, so he had to get back to the worst ground and lost momentum, and the horses down the outside had the momentum. So, we think he’s a proper colt, he’s showing us that now, and I’m just spewing a half of a bet with the track being a bit shifty!

“Well, we know how to win both (Coolmore Stud Stakes and Caulfield Guineas). We did it with (Weekend) Hustler, so we might do it with this colt. He does things at home that only the real good ones do, and we’re pretty happy with him.”

One of 15 stakes winners for young sire Harry Angel (Ire) whose best to date is G1 Spring Champion S. winner Tom Kitten, as well as Group 2 winners Arkansaw Kid and Stretan Angel. Angel Capital is a half-brother to Hong Kong group winner Senor Toba (Toronado {Ire}) who has placed in the G1 Queensland Derby and G1 Champions & Chater Cup, and to Group 2 winner Berkeley Square (Territories {Ire}).

The trio’s dam is G1 Schweppes Oaks-placed winner Bahamas (Teofilo {Ire}) who is a half-sister to G2 Matriarch winner Affair To Remember (Toronado {Ire}) and stakes-placed winner Exodus (Bernardini {USA}), with Bahamas being a daughter of triple Listed winner St Trinians (Black Hawk {GB}).

Lilac adds new stakes winner for Justify in Jim Maloney

Annabel Neasham and Rob Archibald trained Lilac (Justify {USA}) had to dig deep into her reserves to cling on for victory in the Listed Jim Maloney S. for 3-year-old fillies at Caulfield. In the leading group for jockey Mark Zahra, she kicked a length clear with less than a furlong to go, but Chris Waller trained Delichy Boulevard (Snitzel) was closing rapidly from further back and the two hit the line together with Lilac winning by 0.15l. Two lengths back in third was Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained Too Darn Lizzy (Too Darn Hot {GB}).

“Great effort by the team. And yeah, Champion Thoroughbreds, first horse we've had with them, and Coolmore are in the ownership as well. So really satisfying to get a stakes win with a filly of this quality,” said Annabel Neasham.

“I mean, the mile obviously is sort of half hope because that's where the Group 1 lies for the fillies later on. But I've always slightly had my doubts because she's sharp. She puts herself up on speed. We'll have a chat with Mark (Zahra) and see what he thinks.

“Physically, she's still got a bit of a way to go. She's quite a slender filly that has still got a lot, you know, I think the best is still yet ahead of her. But yeah, we'll just see how she comes through this, see how deep into a prep we get. But most importantly, we've got the stakes win today, so the pressure's off in that regard. But hopefully she can build on her CV from here on in.

“We did think about possibly staying up there (in Sydney), obviously towards the Flight Stakes, but you know there's a lot of good fillies up there at the moment that are battle hardened and we just thought we maybe weren't quite ready for that and the spacing was quite nice just coming down today, giving her a look around Caulfield earlier on in the week and yeah, the 14 (hundred metres) didn't seem to look a problem today, so yeah, just delighted for all the connections.”

Fourth on debut at two in Sydney, Lilac has returned well at three with a win at Wyong first-up, then second in Sydney next to promising colt Private Life (Written Tycoon). Of note, Delichy Boulevard was third that day. Saturday’s Caulfield win was Lilac’s first run in Melbourne and her first attempt in stakes company.

She becomes the 37th stakes winner globally for Triple Crown winner Justify (USA) and his seventh stakes winner in Australia. A NZ$300,000 purchase by Champion Thoroughbreds and Annabel Neasham at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, she was sold by Curraghmore.

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The second foal and second winner for G2 Wellington Guineas runner up Paulownia (Fastnet Rock), Lilac’s year older full brother New Forest was a winner over a mile at three last season. Paulownia is a full sister to Group 1 winner and successful sire Foxwedge, and to Listed Rosebud winner She’s A Fox. Winning half-sister Banksia (Redoute’s Choice) is the dam of Group 2 winner Bank Maur (Maurice {Jpn}) and his Listed-winning full brother Namesake. Paulownia’s unraced full sister She’s A Wildcat is the dam of Listed winner Untamed (Pierro) who now races in Hong Kong.

Landlock juvenile win brings up half-century for Myers

Wanganui’s meeting in New Zealand kicked off with an 800-metre juvenile race, where Australian-bred Landlock (Merchant Navy) settled into third under jockey Kelly Myers, trailing front-runners Princess Elsa (NZ) (Frosted {USA}) and Ensign Area (NZ) (U S Navy Flag {USA}). He made a bold move on the inside at the corner, ultimately winning by 0.1l for trainer Cody Cole. Princess Elsa held on for second, while Almakeitgood (NZ) (Ardrossan) finished third. Luminance (NZ) (Time Test {GB}) took fourth, and Ensign Area faded to last.

“He hadn’t had any trials leading into this, and I think Cody was almost using this race as a bit of a trial. The horse has a bit of improvement in him and has obviously got a lot of ability as well,” Myers told Loveracing.nz.

The win marked her 50th in the saddle, and she followed this up in the next with a win on 3-year-old gelding Wire Rope (NZ) (Darci Brahma {NZ}) who is a half-brother to Group 3 winner Miss Federer (NZ) (Swiss Ace) with both out of Listed winner Halobelle (NZ) (My Halo {Arg}). She later made it a treble for the day in the G3 Metric Mile.

Trainer Cody Cole paid NZ$20,000 to buy Landlock from Woburn Farm’s Book 2 draft at New Zealand Bloodstock’s National Yearling Sale at Karaka in 2024, making the gelding Karaka Millions-eligible. Landlock became the 11th individual juvenile winner for Merchant Navy, who stands at Kooringal Stud. Winner of the G1 Coolmore Stud S. and G1 Royal Ascot Golden Jubilee, Merchant Navy has three stakes winners led by G1 Goodwood H. winner Royal Merchant.

A half-brother to New Zealand juvenile Listed winner Bright Blue Sky (Fastnet Rock), Landlock becomes the third winner for his winning dam Blue Blue Sky (Lonhro), who is linebred 3mx3f to Zabeel (NZ), and is a member of the strong Grosvenor family. Blue Blue Sky’s dam, Napa Sky (NZ) (Stravinsky {USA}) and second dam Tricia Ann (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}) are both stakes placed winners, while Tricia Ann is the dam of Napa Sky’s full sister Group 2 winner and G1 NZ 1000 Guineas-placed La Sizeranne, herself dam of Listed winner Za Moulin Rouge (Street Cry {Ire}).

Mishani Lily makes it four in succession

Last season's Listed Dalrello S. winner Mishani Lily (Kobayashi) extended her winning streak to four with a commanding victory in the QTIS 3-year-old H. at the Gold Coast on Saturday. Trained by Donna Stanbridge for Mike Crooks' Mishani Enterprises, the 3-year-old filly, ridden by apprentice Emily Lang, claimed a 2l win over the Toby Edmonds and Stephen McLean-trained filly Ready To Schipp (Better Than Ready), with Bevan Laming's colt Gin A Tonic (Better Than Ready) finishing third.

“She’s just phenomenal for me… she had a good gallop on Tuesday, in between treadmill, swims, does a bit of everything to keep her happy,” said Stanbridge. “We’ll look at three weeks, there’s a 1200 (metre) Group race down in Sydney we might head down for.” Stanbridge is referring to the G2 Roman Consul S. over 1200 metres on October 12 at Rosehill.

The sole stakes winner for Kobayashi, who has only 90 runners to date, Mishani Lily took her record to six wins from 10 starts and over $580,000.

Her dam, Sweet Savannah (Written Tycoon) won twice including one at Ipswich, and has also produced six-race winner Mishani Operator (Domesday). Mishani Lily is the first stakes winner in the family since her fourth dam Mystic Chantry (Chanteclair) won the 1997 G2 WA Oaks and 1998 Listed Helen Vale Cup.

Broadsiding form holds up with El Castello’s second win

In the opening race at Randwick, the Vale Graham McNiece H., promising 3-year-old colt El Castello (Castelvecchio) triumphed in a thrilling three-way finish. Jockey Tim Clark urged him on, and El Castello delivered a 0.48l victory for the Anthony Cummings stable. Extreme Freedom (NZ) (Turn Me Loose {NZ}), trained by Robert and Luke Price, took second, while Kristen Buchanan's 4-year-old mare Kervette (Kermadec {NZ}) finished third. The first four horses were separated by less than a length.

He will go to the Gloaming and then the G1 Spring Champion, before thinking about the G1 Victoria Derby.

“He’s a nice horse with a really bright future,” Cummings said. “The plan was always to come here first and then we will have choices to make. We’ll probably go to a midweek Benchmark race and then look towards the Gloaming Stakes and Spring Champion Stakes.”

A $220,000 purchase by his trainer from Cambridge Stud’s 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale draft, El Castello ran third on debut at two, before running second in the Listed Fernhill S. behind future dual Group 1 winner Broadsiding (Too Darn Hot {GB}) at his second start. He ran last in the G1 Champagne S. before resuming at three to win two in succession, to take his record to two wins and two placings from five starts.

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The best of Group 1 winner Castelvecchio’s six winners to date, El Castello is the second foal and first winner for winning mare Word Games (Fastnet Rock) who is a full sister to Group 3-placed winner Wordplay, and a half-sister to G1 BMW S. and G1 Victoria Derby winner Fiveandahalfstar (Hotel Grand). Another half-sister Ritzy (Medaglia D’Oro {USA}) has produced dual Listed winner Rhapsody Rose (Star Witness).