The jury is still out on whether Autumn Glow is going to be a sprinter or miler but the mare has ticked another box at Randwick by handling her first start on a heavy track to remain undefeated.
Trainer Chris Waller contemplated whether to scratch her from Saturday’s Toy Show Quality (1100m) due to the extreme conditions but elected to roll the dice and Autumn Glow ($1.50 fav) ensured he had no regrets.
Despite being momentarily held up for a clear run in the straight, the four-year-old angled back to the inside under James McDonald and surged to the line for a comfortable half-length win over Gangsta Granny ($9.50) with Hi Dubai ($17) another 1-1/2 lengths in arrears.
“There were a few unknowns with her,” Waller said.
“Just over the 1100 metres she was in a little bit of trouble from the 500 to the 300 but once she came back to the inside and got a bit of fresh air, it was good to see her finish off.”
Autumn Glow’s connections are yet to decide if she will follow a path towards the Group 1 Epsom Handicap (1600m) or stick to sprinting, and Saturday’s result in the heavy 10 conditions shed little light on the conundrum.
Waller said she was likely to progress to the Theo Marks Stakes (1300m) next as they kept their options open.
“My gut tells me 1600 metres is going to be perfect. She is just a beautiful specimen, a lovely, scopey horse,” he said.
“I will talk to the owners but maybe the Theo Marks Stakes will be a nice stepping stone. We could always come back (in distance) if she had to. I just think the Epsom is there for her.”
McDonald said Autumn Glow’s unbeaten record was testament to her raw ability and felt there was much more to come.
“The thing is we haven’t even scratched the surface in terms of putting her under a lot of pressure,” McDonald said.
“Whatever she has done so far, Chris has just wrapped her in cotton wool. She is doing it all on her own.
“When she starts with the sword put to her, she will respond really well. She is that type of horse. She has got no pain barrier.”
