• Top 2 – No. 14 Autumn Glow
• Top 3 – No. 3 Linebacker
• Top 4 – No. 8 Lord Penman

AUTUMN GLOW (8) heads into the $10 million Golden Eagle as the one they all have to beat, and it’s easy to see why. The unbeaten mare is seven from seven, including three wins at Randwick, stamping her as a genuine track specialist with a serious engine. Her last-start demolition job in the Epsom Handicap was the performance of a rising star, and she now looks to emulate Kolding’s rare Epsom–Golden Eagle double from 2019. Drawn ideally in barrier eight, she maps to get a soft run just off the speed, and with James McDonald sticking — fresh from his fourth consecutive Ladbrokes Cox Plate triumph — the stable confidence is sky-high. Chris Waller knows what it takes to win this race, and punters are rallying behind his daughter of The Autumn Sun to deliver again. If she handles the drop back to 1500m and sees daylight at the right time, this mare has the turn of foot to blow them away. Even at the short quote, she’s the one to be with — a class act chasing history.

LINEBACKER (5) shapes as the clear threat to the favourite, and his lead-up win in the Silver Eagle was nothing short of dominant. The son of Super Seth is already a Group 1 winner, having claimed the Randwick Guineas in the autumn over Broadsiding in a high-class contest — and he returns to the same track with form and confidence. His eighth in the Doncaster was full of merit, finishing just over a length off Stefi Magnetica in a blanket finish — and she franked that form with a win in The Invitation last weekend. Forgive his first-up Tramway run when caught wide from barrier 16; he still hit the line well and showed he was building toward something. That something arrived in the Silver Eagle, where he put a gap on them from a wide draw, winning by 2.63 lengths with Zac Lloyd aboard. He stays in the saddle, and with a much kinder draw in gate five, Linebacker gets every chance to settle, stalk, and strike. Back up to 1500m suits, and he’s ticking all the right boxes to give this a serious shake.

LORD PENMAN (15) might be flying under the radar at $61, but he’s not without a puncher’s chance. The Chris Waller-trained Kiwi import jumps from the second widest alley but gets a major boost with Joao Moreira — the ‘Magic Man’ — booked for the ride. Moreira is a proven big-race specialist, and his cool hands could be key if the race unfolds for the backmarkers. The gelding’s lead-up effort was solid, finishing second to the dominant Silver Eagle winner, and he’s been quietly improving with each run this prep. Expect him to be ridden cold from the draw and saved for one late surge — a tactic Moreira has mastered time and again. With upside, a world-class jockey, and the Waller polish, he is well worth including in your exotics. If the tempo is hot and the swoopers get their chance, he’s capable of landing a surprise blow.