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Autumn Boy captured the 2025 Caulfield Guineas in brilliant fashion, giving Chris Waller and Damian Lane back-to-back wins in the Group 1 three-year-old mile classic.
In a performance that echoed the deeds of his sire The Autumn Sun, Autumn Boy ($4.20) surged to victory in the $3 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) for his breakthrough win as a three-year-old.
Drawn perfectly in barrier one, Lane gave the colt a patient ride, settling just behind the speed before angling out and unleashing a powerful sprint wider out to defeat 30/1 outsider Planet Red and Ciaron Maher‘s roughie hope Observer ($20) by three-quarters of a length and two and a half lengths respectively.
“Beautiful colt just takes everything in his stride, very easy to deal with and a great turn of foot when needed,” Lane, who won the race for Waller last year aboard Private Life, said post-win.
“So, you need that to win these big races, and when he joined in, he really joined in.”
Waller was full of praise for the colt and the team behind him.
“We’re proud of all the horses that come through the stable,” he said.
“But when we’ve got champions like The Autumn Sun and we’ve got sons and daughters, it’s pretty special.
“Last week, Autumn Glow (winning the Epsom Handicap to remain undefeated), now it’s a super colt with Autumn Boy; it’s pretty special.”
Waller also reflected on the colt’s Golden Rose run, where he finished seventh in a race run at track record pace.
“It was a track record time. Full credit to the winner, he led them up and won,” Waller said.
“The backmarkers just didn’t quite get us the race because we were just running so quick.
“We didn’t lose faith, the ratings people and our form guys said he’s the one, and sure enough, they were right.
“The sectional timings suggested he actually ran quite well.
“It was his first time in the big dance or the big-time races.
“He’s come through the run well; he’s come down here with plenty of time.
“The team down here have done a great job.
“We brought him to Caulfield; we ticked all the boxes; everything suggested he was ready to run a big race.”
As for the ride from Lane, Waller declared him a “world-class sportsman”.
“He’s a world-class sportsman,” the now four-time Caulfield Guineas winning trainer said.
“That’s a big thing that we underestimate, how good these jockeys are.
“What makes them so good is they’re exceptional athletes.
“He’s so good to work with. Again, he’s just an ultimate professional.
“To be able to align with someone like that makes my job so much easier.”
Planet Red meanwhile tried hard in a brave run for second after a third in the Prelude, impressing his hoop Jordan Childs.
“He went super,” Childs said of the Admire Mars gelding from the Price/Kent Jnr yard.
“The race worked out well for him. We got a good track into it, he presented, but the winner was too good.
“He ran as well as he could.”
Observer also caught the eye getting into third after getting tightened for room at a crucial stage.
“Huge run,” jockey Ethan Brown said post-race.
“The run presented and shut, it cost him a lot of momentum, but he still picked himself up and ran third.
“He would have gone very close. They’re taking the right steps forward with him, he will stay.”
The Caulfield Guineas win solidifies Autumn Boy’s stud future and sets him up for a potential run in the Group 1 $6 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 25, although Waller said that would be unlikely considering how lightly raced he is.
“Not sure. I don’t normally because they’re still babies,” Waller explained.
“He’s only had four or five starts, I think. So, it’ll be unlikely for us, but we’ll see what comes out next week, you’ve got the luxury of just sitting tight.
“He’s not overly raced so you can do it, but we’ll have to see how good Via Sistina’s going.”
Via Sistina won last year’s Cox Plate race by eight lengths, but after suffering back-to-back losses running third in both the Makybe Diva and Turnbull Stakes, she’s eased out to the second line of all-in betting at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $3.
Despite being an unlikely final acceptor, Autumn Boy’s Cox Plate odds have been tightened in from $26 to $15.
| 9. Autumn Boy (1) J: Damian Lane57kg 11x27T: Chris Waller | ||
| 14. Planet Red (5) J: Jordan Childs57kg 1x143T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | ||
| 16. Observer (6) J: Ethan Brown57kg 215x2T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 3. Vinrock (11) J: Mark Zahra57kg 1x415T: Matt Laurie | ||
| 12. Hillier (14) J: Luke Currie57kg x1243T: Annabel & Rob Archibald | ||
| 8. Navy Pilot (2) J: Jamie Melham57kg 37x21T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 4. Nepotism (9) J: Blake Shinn57kg 11x98T: M, W & J Hawkes | ||
| 1. Rivellino (3) J: Craig Williams57kg 5x466T: Kris Lees | ||
| 5. West Of Swindon (13) J: Ben Melham57kg 0x421T: Ciaron Maher | ||
| 2. Wodeton (7) J: James McDonald57kg 4x242T: Chris Waller | ||
| 10. Space Rider (8) J: Beau Mertens57kg 4x174T: Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr | ||
| 15. Romantic Encounter (10) J: Daniel Stackhouse57kg 12T: Ben, Will & Jd Hayes | ||
| 13. Stay Cosmic (12) J: Thomas Stockdale57kg 22x25T: Phillip Stokes | ||
| 7. Highvol (15) J: Declan Bates57kg 1x764T: Nick Ryan | ||
| 11. Prestige Ole (4) J: Harry Coffey57kg 12x59T: Matt Laurie |
CHANCES ARE YOU’RE ABOUT TO LOSE.
For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.
