The Autumn Sun retired having never taken on Winx

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.