Outstanding filly Sunlight could challenge retired star The Autumn Sun for three-year-old of the year if she can win Saturday’s Robert Sangster Classic at Morphettville and take her haul to four group 1 victories for the season.

Winx will, of course, again be horse of the year, but the two three-year-olds have been the standouts, along with Santa Ana Lane, away from her.

The Autumn Sun won five group 1s against his own age, including the Golden Rose, the Caulfield Guineas and Randwick Guineas, which are the top three-year-old races in the country.

Sunlight beat the colts in the Coolmore Stud Stakes on Derby day in Melbourne, added a handicap win in the Newmarket Handicap and then beat the older horses at weight-for-age in the William Reid Stakes.

She was third in the TJ Smith against the best sprinters in the land, and a win in the fillies and mares group 1 would give her a compelling case for the three-year-old of the year.

With Aquis Farm in the ownership of Sunlight, she is likely to take their slot in The Everest later in the year, and Tony McEvoy is also considering running her in the Golden Eagle.

– Chris Roots, Sydney Morning Herald

In form jockey Michael Cahill completed a good week and cemented his role as a jockey for champion trainer Chris Waller when he won on Wu Gok at Doomben.

A multiple Group One-winning jockey, Cahill rode a double at the Sunshine Coast last Sunday and had another two wins at Ipswich on Wednesday.

He produced a vintage display to get Wu Gok ($5) home by 1-3/4 lengths to Ruby Guru ($15) in the Bernie’s Produce Handicap (2200m) on Saturday.

Heavy rain fell in the hour leading up to race time and the track was downgraded to a heavy eight, which was no worries for Wu Gok.

“Last time I rode him was on a heavy track at the Gold Coast and he won impressively there as well. The track is heavy but safe and Wu Gok is obviously a natural wet-tracker,” Cahill said.

Waller’s Queensland stable manager Paul Shailer was full of praise for Cahill’s ride.

“We like to share the riding around but Michael will be getting his share during the winter,” Shailer said.

“I’m not sure exactly where Wu Gok will head, but he will probably run in similar races during the winter,” he said.

Wu Gok races in the same colours as top three-year-old The Autumn Sun and, while not in the same class, has earned $257,000 in prize money, much of it in Queensland.

– AAP, Horse Racing News

If recent history is anything to go by, a star or two could be unearthed at Queensland’s winter carnival in the coming months. Here are just some noteworthy gallopers who have used a trip to the sunshine state as a springboard to better things in recent times.

The Autumn Sun

The Autumn Sun arrived in Brisbane last winter as a 2YO with two starts to his name (both wins) and left as a G1 winner of the JJ Atkins. The Chris Waller-trained colt went on to win a further four G1s and finished his career with eight wins from nine starts.

Winx

Winx’s phenomenal streak of 33 straight wins started with that ridiculous last-to-first Sunshine Coast Guineas victory in 2015. The Sunshine Coast success was followed by Winx’s first G1 win in the Queensland Oaks a couple of weeks later. When Winx arrived in Queensland that year her record stood at four wins from 10 starts.

Redzel

Redzel was a quality, multiple black-type winning sprinter heading into the 2017 winter carnival but he certainly wasn’t the star he went on to become. He picked up his first G1 in the Doomben 10,000 before going on to win the The Everest and the G1 Darley Classic down south that spring. Now a two-time winner of The Everest, the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained gelding has earned more than $15.5 million in prizemoney.

Brazen Beau

Brazen Beau had a maiden win and a Lonhro Plate fifth on his resume when Chris Waller set him for the Queensland carnival as a 2YO in 2014. The son of I am Invincible made an immediate impact, winning the G2 Champagne Classic first-up before registering back-to-back seconds in the G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes and the G1 JJ Atkins. That was the start of successful, albeit brief, career in Group events, with Brazen Beau later winning the G2 Roman Consul Stakes, the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes and the G1 Newmarket Handicap. He headed to the breeding barn after 12 starts, having won five times and run second on four occasions.

Santa Ana Lane

Perhaps cheating a little here because Santa Ana Lane was already a two-time G1 winner when he went to Brisbane for a successful hit-and-run raid in last year’s Stradbroke Handicap. But he’s certainly done plenty more since taking out the prestigious event. Now being set for tasks on the international stage, he won last spring’s G1 VRC Sprint Classic and was most recently seen taking out the G1 TJ Smith Stakes in Sydney.

Zoustar

Zoustar registered his first Group win in the G2 BRC Sires’ Produce Stakes of 2013 before running second in the G1 JJ Atkins. After putting the writing on the wall in Queensland as 2YO, he shone in both Sydney and Melbourne as a 3YO, winning both the G1 Golden Rose and the G1 Coolmore Stud Stakes. Now a sire of note, the son of Northern Meteor retired with a record of six wins from nine starts.

Press Statement

Just like with other horses on this list, leading Sydney trainer Chris Waller gave Press Statement his first opportunity at Group level in Brisbane as a 2YO. The son of Hinchinbrook won the 2015 G1 JJ Atkins at just his second start before a spring prep that saw him win the G2 Stan Fox Stakes and G1 Caulfield Guineas. In his final campaign during the 2016 autumn, Press Statement won the G2 Hobartville Stakes and also placed in both the G1 Randwick Guineas (won by Le Romain) and the G1 George Ryder Stakes (won by Winx).

Werther

Before Werther became a star in Hong Kong, he finished his Australasian career as a 3YO at the 2015 winter carnival. In his two starts in Queensland, Werther defeated older rivals in the G2 Eagle Farm Cup before finishing second in the G1 Queensland Derby on the quick back-up. In 2015/2016 he was named Hong Kong’s Horse of the Year.

– Isaac Ling, punters.com.au

Winx might have never made it to Queen Elizabeth II’s racecourse of Ascot but she got the royal seal of approval after her farewell race when trainer Chris Waller received a personal message from Her Majesty.

The emotional trainer was again moved to tears as he recalled opening the message congratulating him on Winx’s wonder career, which concluded with a third win in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes on Saturday.

“The Queen sent a message through – it was pretty special,” Waller said. “You don’t expect that.

“She watched the race and it came from her people but it was very personal. There have been so many messages from around the world I haven’t had time to look at them all yet. It is something I will sit down and look at later.”

Waller, who usually has Sundays away from his stables, paraded Winx in front the media on Sunday morning as the reality of her retirement started to sink in.

She leaves racing with a new audience after going on a four-year unbeaten run that invited everyone back to the back to the track. She finished with a world record of $26,451,174 in career earnings, which came from 37 wins, 25 at group 1 level in a 43-start career.

“What an amazing journey and an amazing horse. It was a great team effort and yesterday really was something special,” Waller said. “We just hoped for a fairytale result and she delivered it.”

Waller said he had no regrets about not taking on the world and will have time to reflect on Winx’s career for years to come. He admitted the next couple of days would be tough as he and his staff said goodbye to the champion mare.

He turned down the idea that Winx was the greatest horse in Australian history but was proud that she was in the conversation.

“She is very close to it and I couldn’t tell you the horse that is [the greatest]. I don’t think that would be fair,” Waller said.

“There have been so many great horses. The fact that she is even spoken in the same sentence as a Phar Lap and other horses, like Black Caviar, is special.

“Because there is no race between it is hard to quantify it. What she has done. What the media has done to get behind her, and most importantly the Winx fans, has really propelled her up there as one of the best.

“We are proud of that and that will never change.”

Winx will be not be remembered for one race but four years of dominance.

She won four Cox Plate, four Chipping Norton Stakes, four George Ryder Stakes and four times at The Championships.

She won handicaps like the Epsom and the Doncaster Mile but was simply untouchable with her surging style that repeatedly saw her go from back in the ruck to racing away in a few strides.

It is the longevity, which Waller is most proud of with Winx, but he always knew he had an edge on his rivals during the four-year wining run.

“It can only be done when the athlete is superior to the rest and that is what we have been working with. She has made us look pretty good,” Waller said.

“It is hard to quantify but I would say she is 10 percent better than her opposition. To be 10 percent better than rivals over a four-year period, that’s how this winning streak has been able to keep rolling.

“That 10 percent has been in our favour for a long time and made all of our decisions look pretty smart.”

– Chris Roots, The Sydney Morning Herald

Arrowfield Stud supremo John Messara said the recent death of super stallion Redoute’s Choice hastened the racetrack retirement of the former champion sire’s exceptionally bred son The Autumn Sun.

Redoute’s Choice died late last month, aged 22, after a stud career in which he sired a remarkable 163 individual Stakes winners across his 19 seasons standing at the Hunter Valley nursery.

The Autumn Sun was among the best of those progeny, but after a career in which the Chris Waller-trained colt won eight of his nine race starts and five group 1s, the lure of a lucrative stud career was too much.

“After extensive discussions, the opportunity to return the colt to his spiritual home and fill the gap left by the death of Redoute’s Choice proved too compelling,” said Messara, setting The Autumn Sun’s service fee at $77,000.

“We backed Redoute’s Choice as a sire of sires early in his career, we stand Snitzel and Not A Single Doubt, and Beneteau was also highly successful for us. That history makes the best colt by Redoute’s Choice an irresistible prospect.”

Messara also paid tribute to The Autumn Sun’s master handler and his careful placement and preparation of the valuable prospect.

“The quality of The Autumn Sun’s race record also reflects the skill and dedication of trainer Chris Waller and his team, and we’re very grateful for their care and management of him,” he said.

– Michael Cox, Sydney Morning Herald

The Autumn Sun, once rated the heir apparent to Winx on the racetrack, is now being asked to fill the massive void left by the passing of his sire, Redoute’s Choice at stud.

Owner John Messara revealed he had planned to race on with The Autumn Sun next season until super stallion Redoute’s Choice had to put down on veterinary advice two weeks ago.

Messara, who on Thursday night received one of the most prestigious honours in world racing when he given the International Award of Merit for Equine Excellence at a function in Sydney, admitted he had mixed emotions after making the announcement that The Autumn Sun has been retired.

“Obviously, there is some regret that we are not seeing The Autumn Sun race on next season,’’ Messara said.

“We were willing to have a sporting look at him next season if Redoute’s Choice did not pass.

“But The Autumn Sun has been well exposed. He ran 1m 8.6s for 1200m on debut as a two-year-old and he went right through to win over 2000m on a heavy track.

“We put this colt in proper races right through his career and he delivered in the three Guineas and the Golden Rose.

“The quality of The Autumn Sun’s race record also reflects the skill and dedication of trainer Chris Waller and his team, and we’re very grateful for their care and management of him.’’

The Autumn Sun won eight of his nine starts, five at Group 1 level and earned more than $3.4 million. He is the only horse to win the Caulfield-Randwick-Rosehill Guineas treble.

Messara and his part-owners, Hermitage Thoroughbreds, met earlier this week to consider the options for the five-time Group 1 winner before deciding to retire the superstar colt to stud.

It was determined the “opportunity to return the colt to his spiritual home and fill the gap left by the death of Redoute’s Choice proved too compelling.’’

Messara said The Autumn Sun is the best-ever three-year-old colt by Redoute’s Choice, the former champion stallion and noted sire of sires, and the chance to stand him at stud was a “irresistible prospect”.

“We backed Redoute’s Choice as a sire of sires early in his career, we stand Snitzel and Not A Single Doubt, and Beneteau was also highly successful for us,’’ Messara said.

“But I believe The Autumn Sun is the best stallion prospect by Redoute’s Choice. If ever a stallion is going to make it in Australia it is The Autumn Sun.

“He is by one of the greatest sire-makers in Redoute’s Choice out of a wonderful European family. Over the last 25 years, the Danehill and Redoute’s Choice sireline have won 19 sires premierships.

“We had some great mares going to ‘Redoute’s’ this spring and they can now go to The Autumn Sun.’’

The Autumn Sun will stand at a service fee of $77,000 at Arrowfield Stud in the Hunter Valley this spring. Meanwhile, Messara, who also retired triple Group 1-winning mare Shoals earlier this week, became the first Australian to be given the Longines and IFHA International Award of Merit at a special function in Sydney last night.

“This is a decision made by my international peers so for them to have selected me to receive the award was very humbling,’’ Messara said. “I’m extremely proud to receive the award given the racing and breeding industry is my passion.’’

– Ray Thomas, The Daily Telegraph