The task for Autumn Glow’s first foray into Group 1 company hasn’t been made any easier with the unbeaten mare drawing barrier 14 of 14 in the Epsom Handicap (1600m) at Randwick on Saturday.
Autumn Glow will be aiming to become just the fourth mare in the past fifty years to win the race however that tide has turned in recent years with Secret Admirer, Winx and Probabeel all winning as four-year-old mares since 2011.
Kerrin Mcevoy will keep the ride on Autumn Glow at 54.5kg after trainer Chris Waller said he made a ‘coaches call’ for James Mcdonald to stick with reigning Australian horse of the year Via Sistina at Flemington in the Group 1 Turnbull Stakes (2000m) on the same day.
Waller will run just two of the 14 with Lord Penman joining Autumn Glow and will be aiming to win his sixth Epsom Handicap, with assistant trainer Charlie Duckworth confident Autumn Glow is ready to explode despite the wide draw.
“It always makes it harder, but she’s a good horse,” Duckworth said.
“She’s terrific. She obviously had that exhibition gallop on Saturday at the races and bounced through that.
“She was just literally doing too well. She’s bouncing out of her skin. She’s ready to explode, it’s her first crack at a Group One, but she deserves it.”
Autumn Glow is set to jump a remarkably short favourite, opening $1.80 despite the draw, far shorter even than Winx who carried 57kg to victory in 2015 as the $3 favourite.
It sets up what could be another huge day for the country’s leading stable, with early favourites for all three Group Ones across Randwick and Flemington.
Headlined by Autumn Glow and Via Sistina, Waller will also saddle up five runners in the Group 1 The Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick with Birdman holding $5 favouritism despite drawing barrier 17 of 18, which will come into 16 if the emergencies fail to get a run.
Duckworth said Birdman was hitting form at the right time and looked well in at the weights with 51.5kg with Kerrin McEvoy again booked to ride off a last start win in the Group 3 Kingston Town Stakes (2000m).
“Running at the set weights race meant he was exempt from having a penalty, terrific job to get that win and still get in with a nice light weight,” Duckworth said.
“2400 metres will be a massive positive, just an awkward draw, Kerrin is going to need to be good.”
Waller has won the Epsom/The Metropolitan double in 2014 and 2019, also winning the Turnbull Stakes on the same day in the latter.
