The set weights conditions of the Group 2 $200,000 The Daily Telegraph Stan Fox Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday will compensate The Autumn Sun’s challenge of facing 1500m first up.
The Autumn Sun, above, will tackle the 1500m first up in the 2018 Stan Fox Stakes at Rosehill. Photo by Steve Hart.
Trainer Chris Waller opted to test The Autumn Sun over the longer journey as opposed to running him over 1200m in the Group 2 $200,000 The Run To The Rose on the same program because of the favourite weights.
The Stan Fox Stakes is run under set weights for the three year olds while The Autumn Sun would have had to carry a much heavier weight than his rivals if he was to run under the set weights and penalties in The Run To The Rose.
“We decided 1500 (metres first-up) instead of 1200 (of The Run To The Rose) because of the penalty he would have incurred for being a Group 1 winner,” Waller told RSN927’s Racing Pulse.
“This race is set weights and even though it’s a bit further than I would have liked, with an athletic horse that’s clean-winded, you can get away with running them over a bit further first-up.”
The Autumn Sun showed that he could be a 2018 Spring Carnival three year old star after keeping his unbeaten record intact with his third win from three starts in the Group 1 $600,000 Jaguar Land Rover J.J. Atkins Plate (1600m) at Doomben during the 2018 Brisbane Winter Carnival.
Waller said that The Autumn Sun has matured in leaps and bounds since his two year old days and the premiership winning trainer has mapped out a Group 1 program for the Spring for the talented colt.
The Redoute’s Choice colt will go second up into the Group 1 $1m De Bortoli Wines Golden Rose Stakes (1400m) at Rosehill in a fortnight before heading to Melbourne for the Group 1 $2m Ladbrokes Caulfield Guineas (1600m) at Caulfield on October 13.
“He’s gradually getting into a more mature mould now and we’re looking forward to the spring,” Waller said.
“The horse is picture perfect. He’s got a great attitude. He’s very athletic and a good looking horse.
“He’s won races – including a Group 1 race – before he was fully matured so that goes to show what type of ability he has.”
The Autumn Sun has drawn barrier four in the ten horse Stan Fox Stakes field with Kerrin McEvoy booked to ride and is the odds on $1.80 favourite at Ladbrokes.com.au while in the Golden Rose Stakes the colt is marked at the juicy odds of $10.
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