2024 Queensland Guineas Field & Betting Update on Derby Lead-Up
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It came right down to the wire, but The Autumn Sun has added yet another Group 1 win to his growing resume, claiming the Randwick Guineas (1600m) on Saturday in thrilling fashion.
Chris Waller’s prized three-year-old was left with some serious work to do, which at one point, looked a bit beyond the star colt. Priced as the $1.75 favourite, jockey Kerrin McEvoy watched on as Miss Fabulass surprisingly dictated the pace, setting some serious speed for the The Autumn Sun to catch down the straight.
Miss Fabulass led by as many as four lengths at the turn, only to be chased down by Fundamentalist, who exploded along the inside rail. The Autumn Sun was three-wide down the straight, but kicked into gear at the 200m to win by a head at the line.
“What an effort by this colt, he needed to be outstanding here today, and he was, he was brilliant” McEvoy said after the win.
“At the 400m, I was saw at the back of J-Mac (James McDonald). They were putting the race on solely from the half-mile, there was a bit of scrimmage at the 1000m, but he was in a nice rhythm, and at the 600m I thought ‘I’m a long way off them’.
“At the 400m I was asking for a supreme effort, and that’s exactly what he gave me.”
The Autumn Sun still found himself a long way out at the 600m mark, but fortunately won in his final stride. The plan ahead remains to be seen as Waller weighs up the future for The Autumn Sun and Winx.
“He’s got great temperament, it’s going to be great to see him, hopefully, race on” McEvoy joked.
With Saturday’s win, The Autumn Sun became the third horse to complete the Hobartville Stakes-Randwick Guineas double alongside Ilovethiscity and Arena.
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