Autumn Boy confirmed his burgeoning talent with a commanding display in the Listed Tattersall’s Stakes at Eagle Farm on Saturday, showing his rivals a clean pair of heels with a stylish win under champion jockey James McDonald.
The colt, trained by Chris Waller and sired by The Autumn Son, shocked punters on debut when he upstaged the highly regarded Central Coast at $51 odds. However, there was no overlooking him this time around, with the market responding to his potential as he firmed from $3.80 to $2.60 by the jump.
Despite travelling three-wide throughout, Autumn Boy was always travelling sweetly and had plenty in reserve as he powered away from the field over 1400 metres. He had a clear margin on Sheza Alibi ($18) and Kujenga ($35), while Brave Design ($4), trained by Danny O’Brien, finished just outside the placings in fourth.
McDonald, who rode Central Coast during Autumn Boy’s debut win, was full of praise following Saturday’s performance and believes the colt is just getting started.
“They’re lucky the JJ Atkins isn’t in two weeks’ time, because he’d probably win that race,” he said.
“He’s been a real sleeper, but he’s got plenty of ability and he showed that today… the stable has a high opinion of the other colt (Central Coast), so to beat him on debut was a big effort.
“He’s a very promising horse, and he will only keep getting better and better because he hasn’t really woken up yet.
“He does everything beautifully; he jumps well and had nice cover the whole way. He probably got to the front too soon, but his acceleration was instant.
“He could be anything from a six furlong to a 2000-metre horse; I wouldn’t want to pigeonhole him.”
Punters looking to bet on the Tattersall’s Stakes or upcoming races featuring Autumn Boy can find the best value by comparing options from Australia’s top betting sites.
