Racing
Spring feature made to order for Autumn Boy
Chris Waller can see shades of The Autumn Sun in one of the star stallion’s emerging colts.
Chris Waller believes the apple hasn't fallen far from the tree when it comes to Golden Rose hopeful Autumn Boy, who will be bidding to emulate his sire by winning the Group One feature seven years after The Autumn Sun.
Like his dad, Autumn Boy was unbeaten at two before suffering his first defeat at his seasonal return as a three-year-old when second to stablemate and fellow Golden Rose contender Sixties in the Ming Dynasty Quality (1400m).
Similarly, The Autumn Sun finished third at his first start at three before going on to win his next five appearances, four of them at Group 1 level.
Waller also trained the former star galloper and said Autumn Boy was in a similar mould, both physically and in temperament.
"His demeanour and he is also a very similar type," Waller said.
"The Autumn Sun had an amazing attitude towards life. He enjoyed every minute of it and he showed that in his racing.
"He tried hard and he was a pleasure to deal with and this is a carbon copy."
Waller has put blinkers on Autumn Boy, partly to keep him sharp and also because the ploy proved a success in his sire's Golden Rose (1400m) bid.
The champion trainer is renowned for following proven formulas with his horses and invariably it continues to work for him.
"When you're getting old you follow old traditions and we did it with The Autumn Sun," Waller said of the gear change.
"But I do think it will help him over 1400."
Autumn Boy is one of four Golden Rose runners for Waller along with Wodeton, Sixties and Beiwacht and if he was having trouble splitting them before the barrier draw, he is no closer to sorting their pecking order after it.
"If I could have picked their draws, I would have picked close to what they've got," Waller said.
The draws will suit their racing styles."
Early markets have marked Autumn Boy as his No. 1 seed as a $4.60 second favourite behind the Ciaron Maher-trained Tempted ($2.80 fav), who is the only filly in the race.
Wodeton is a $5 chance with Beiwacht at $9 and Sixties the outsider of his quartet at $16.
Check out the latest Singapore News