Autumn Glow on track for Darby Munro return

A sparkling track gallop has Chris Waller upbeat boom filly Autumn Glow is ready to return to the races and continue where she left off.

The three-year-old has been slightly behind schedule but has finally been given the all-clear to resume in the $200,000 Listed Darby Munro Stakes (1200m) at Rosehill this Saturday.

After watching alongside Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara and Jon Freyer and jockey James Mcdonald’s wife Katelyn as she worked solo between races at Kensington last Thursday, Waller said all of them couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Katelyn, Jon Freyer and John Messara and I, when she crossed the line, we all said ‘wow, what an action’,” Waller said.

“We were taken away by the piece of work, the way she moves and that’s Autumn Glow.

“She is quite special.”

Unbeaten in three starts, Autumn Glow was set to start a short-priced favourite in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) last spring before succumbing to a minor knee issue

While she has taken time to come to hand this time around, Waller isn’t perturbed and says Autumn Glow will have plenty of opportunity to prove her worth on the track.

“I think in the scheme of things and looking after her, you won’t look at the autumn to see what Autumn Glow did this year,” he said.

“It was exactly the same as Joliestar last year. She just had one run and she won the Arrowfield (3YO Stakes). She’s (Joliestar) had plenty of races since and plenty of time to catch up with Group One wins.

“It’s just about getting Autumn Glow back and getting her into racing mode.”

Autumn Glow will have a light preparation with Waller to decide her next target after her first-up run, for which she is a $1.90 favourite.

He said he was unlikely to pit her against the open class sprinters in the All Aged Stakes (1400m) but would consider races like the Arrowfield 3YO Stakes (1200m) and James HB Carr Stakes.