The Autumn Sun is attempting to emulate his sire Redoute’s Choice by winning the Group One Caulfield Guineas.
The 1600m-Classic for three-year-olds has long been regarded a stallion making race and 1999 winner Redoute’s Choice emerged as one of Australia’s best.
The Autumn Sun enters Saturday’s race the short-priced favourite after establishing himself late in his two-year-old year before winning the Golden Rose at his most recent outing.
It has been 19 years since Redoute’s Choice won the Caulfield Guineas but it is only recently The Autumn Sun’s trainer Chris Waller has had the opportunity to train some of his progeny.
“The first half of my training career I couldn’t afford them so I haven’t had a lot of experience with them, but I’ve got a good one here,” Waller said.
The Autumn Sun had his first look at Caulfield in a gallop with stablemate D’Argento on Tuesday morning and Waller said it was what he wanted.
He wasn’t out to break the clock and race jockey James McDonald reported the colt switched to his correct leg at the right time.
“We’re very aware that some Sydney horses struggle at Caulfield for the first time but we’d already thought about that six weeks ago,” Waller said.
“He’s done a lot of galloping left-handed and this morning was just to give him a look at the lay-out of the track and get familiar with the place.
“He was very relaxed with James on in the work and after the work.
“He’s a horse that doesn’t worry about anything and that’s a big attribute for him.”
Waller sees unlimited potential in The Autumn Sun but doesn’t want to push him to the Cox Plate and a battle with stablemate Winx.
He said there was plenty of time for that, but added a final decision was up to the owner.
“I don’t believe he’s fully mature yet and I don’t like to overtax them in their three-year-old year,” Waller said.
“While he’s very good I’d like to take on the best in the world when he’s at his best.
“He has the potential to give us something beyond Winx whenever that may be.”
The Autumn Sun is $2.50 in Caulfield Guineas odds with the TAB.
