11 April 2019

Australia’s leading three-year-old colt The Autumn Sun has run his last race.

Arrowfield Stud on Thursday morning issued a statement announcing that the son of Redoute’s Choice had been retired with immediate effect.

The Autumn Sun raced nine times during his career, winning eight races and finishing third once – he was luckless in his only loss in September’s G2 Stan Fox Stakes (1500m).

The Autumn Sun’s career will be remembered for his five Group 1 wins, registered across three states.

He won the G1 J.J. Atkins (1600m) at Eagle Farm at the end of his three-start two-year-old season.

The Autumn Sun then ended his three-year-old season with five consecutive victories, four of those at Group 1 level – the Golden Rose (1400m), Caulfield Guineas (1600m), Randwick Guineas (1600m) and Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

“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,” Messara said in a statement.

The Autumn Sun’s racetrack retirement comes 352 days after his debut at Randwick on Anzac Day (April 25) last year.

The racetrack career of his sire, Redoute’s Choice, lasted just 379 days. He won five of his ten starts with four victories at Group 1 level before becoming a champion stallion for Arrowfield Stud.

Redoute’s Choice died at the age of 22 on March 26, just days after The Autumn Sun’s most recent start in the G1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m).

Redoute’s Choice has won the Australian General Sires’ Premierships on three occasions and Arrowfield will no doubt be hopeful The Autumn Sun can replicate his father.

The Autumn Sun will stand his first season at Arrowfield at a fee of $77,000 inc. GST.

A joint venture has been established between Hermitage Thoroughbreds and Arrowfield, both half-share owners of The Autumn Sun, to acquire mares specifically for The Autumn Sun. These mares will be additional to those already committed by Arrowfield for his first book.  

– Carl Di Iorio

(Image: Bronwen Healy)

11 April 2019

Sensational colt The Autumn Sun (Redoute’s Choice-Azmiyna by Galileo) has retired from racing and will join the Arrowfield Stud roster for the 2019 season.

The Autumn Sun’s owners Hermitage Thoroughbreds and Arrowfield met this week to consider the options for the five-time Group 1 winner. 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.

Arrowfield’s John Messara says, “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.”

After his debut 2YO win over 1200 metres in class record time, The Autumn Sun progressed rapidly to compile five Group 1 victories from 1400 to 2000 metres over a nine-month period, including the BRC JJ Atkins S. at two. The only horse to win the Caulfield, Randwick & Rosehill Guineas, he retires to stud with 8 wins and $3.4 million prizemoney from nine starts.
 
John Messara adds, “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.”

A joint venture has been established between Hermitage and Arrowfield to acquire mares specifically for The Autumn Sun. These mares will be additional to those already committed by Arrowfield for his first book.

The Autumn Sun will stand his first season at Arrowfield at a fee of $77,000 inc. GST.

– Arrowfield News Feature

Australian racing is losing its two biggest superstars in the same week with confirmation The Autumn Sun has been retired.

Only two days before Winx has her last dance in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes, it was announced her five-time Group I winning stablemate The Autumn Sun has run his last race.

It was tipped to happen after the three-year-old colt’s narrow victory in the Rosehill Guineas and it was probably a sure thing when the legendary stallion Redoute’s Choice passed away last month.

The Autumn Sun, which banked almost $3.5 million as he won eight races from his nine career starts, was always going to be a logical replacement for the great Redoute’s Choice at John Messara’s Arrowfield Stud, being his best racetrack performed son to retire to stud.

The Autumn Sun retires never having taking on Winx – a clash that just about every racing fan yearned to see.

Having Winx and The Autumn Sun retiring in the same week, not much more than 48 hours apart, will not only create a huge gap in Chris Waller’s stable but will also leave a massive void in Australian racing.

The Autumn Sun’s owners Hermitage Thoroughbreds and Arrowfield met this week to consider the options for The Autumn Sun.

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.

“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,” John Messara said in a statement.

The Autumn Sun retires as the only horse to win the trio of the Caulfield, Randwick and Rosehill Guineas.

“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,” Messara said.

A joint venture has been established between Hermitage and Arrowfield to acquire mares specifically for The Autumn Sun. These mares will be additional to those already committed by Arrowfield for his first book.

The Autumn Sun will stand his first season at Arrowfield at a fee of $77,000 inc GST.

– Ben Dorries, Racenet

8 April 2019

Arrowfield Stud boss John Messara says a decision on the racing future of The Autumn Sun will be made ‘in the next couple of days’.

The Autumn Sun was spelled after winning the G1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) on March 23, his eighth win from nine starts and fifth at the elite level for trainer Chris Waller. 

Messara told racing.com’s After The Last that the decision to continue racing The Autumn Sun or retire the three-year-old colt to stud was proving ‘torturous’.

Messara purchased a half-share in The Autumn Sun last October, days before he won the G1 Caulfield Guineas (1600m) by 4.5 lengths, and races the horse in partnership with Hermitage Thoroughbreds.

“We have had meetings amongst the ownership group and today (on Monday) there was a meeting with the trainer (Chris Waller),” Messara said.

“I think in the next day or two we’ll make a statement, probably Wednesday or Thursday once we’ve ticked all the boxes.

“He’s done his job on the racetrack in effect already but he’s an exciting prospect.

“Our trainer keeps telling us he’s got more developing to come and with that will come even better performances.

“It’s a difficult one because the recent loss of Redoute’s Choice leaves a gaping opening there for a horse like The Autumn Sun to come in being his best son ever.

“It’s a torturous decision but we’ll get to it in the next 24 to 48 hours.” 

– Racing.com