Latest news with #Aeliana
News.com.au
19-05-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Bookies can't split Lady Shenandoah and Autumn Glow as spring markets are revealed
Who is the better three-year-old filly – Autumn Glow or Lady Shenandoah? It's a debate that has raged for months with opinions evenly divided after both of trainer Chris Waller 's star fillies completed perfect seasons. Even the bookies are having trouble separating them with TAB Fixed Odds price assessors rating Autumn Glow and Lady Shenandoah as equal favourites for some of the biggest races of the spring. TAB is today opening betting on many of the major spring carnival races and have Autumn Glow and Lady Shenandoah sharing favouritism at $6 for the Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap and $4.50 for the $10 million Golden Eagle. Another of Waller's outstanding fillies, the runaway ATC Australian Derby winner Aeliana, is on the second line of Epsom betting at $8 and fourth favourite for the Golden Eagle at $11. The release of the TAB markets is timely as both Autumn Glow and Lady Shenandoah returned to pre-training on Monday. Autumn Glow's owner John Messara said it was too early to lock in her spring program but confirmed the Epsom Handicap and Golden Eagle were likely targets. 'We have all our options open but at this stage the first Group 1 for Autumn Glow is likely to be the Epsom Handicap,'' Messara said. 'There is also the Golden Eagle to consider but it all depends on Autumn Glow and what Chris thinks is best for her. 'She has spelled really well, she's physically bigger and stronger now, and it's exciting to think what she could do in the spring.'' Autumn Glow is unbeaten in four starts including the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes and Listed Darby Munro Stakes. ðŸ�‚ Autumn Glow proves she’s the real deal and wins the G2 Tea Rose Stakes at just her third start and remains unbeaten! @cwallerracing | @mcacajamez — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) September 21, 2024 She was the hot favourite for the Group 1 Flight Stakes last spring only to be withdrawn on race-eve with a minor injury. In her absence, Lady Shenandoah won the Flight Stakes in a canter by more than three lengths. Lady Shenandoah trained on to win two more Group 1 races, the Surround Stakes and Coolmore Classic, to complete her five-start unbeaten three-year-old season. Make way for the lady! Lady Shenandoah makes a mess of the G1 Flight Stakes with a dominant win for @ZacLloydx and @cwallerracing! @aus_turf_club — SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) October 5, 2024 Timeform ratings have Lady Shenandoah and Aeliana as the top fillies this season with peak 119 figures ahead of Autumn Glow at 117 and dual Oaks winner Treasurethe Moment on 115. TAB is opening big-race markets on a number of the spring carnival features including the Golden Rose, King Charles III Stakes, The Metropolitan, Flight Stakes, Coolmore Stud Stakes, Champions Stakes, Champions Mile, Champions Sprint and The Kosciuszko. Godolphin filly Tempted is the $4.50 Flight Stakes favourite with Golden Slipper winner Marhoona at $6 while the past two King Charles III Stakes winners, Fangirl and Ceolwulf, are at $4.50 and $6 respectively for a repeat success.
News.com.au
22-04-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Via Sistina the only certainty in open Horse of the Year awards
The close of Sydney's showpiece autumn carnival usually provides clarity for the various Horse of the Year award categories each season – but not this year! The only certainty is that Via Sistina will claim Horse of the Year after successive autumn carnival Group 1 wins in the Verry Elleegant Stakes, Ranvet Stakes and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, bringing her tally of big-race wins in 2024-25 to a record-equalling seven. The champion mare also wins the middle distance category and is a contender for the miler title although she has opposition from Epsom Handicap-King Charles III Stakes winner Ceolwulf, Mr Brightside (Makybe Diva Stakes, Champions Mile) and Fangirl (Queen of the Turf Stakes). But with 12 Group 1 races left this season – four in Adelaide and eight in Brisbane – the other awards categories are wide open, particularly the three-year-old filly division. Melbourne's wonder filly Treasurethe Moment won eight races in a row during the season including three at Group 1 level in the VRC Oaks, Vinery Stud Stakes and ATC Australian Oaks. But is that enough to secure champion three-year-old filly honours? Lady Shenandoah will have her admirers after an unbeaten season that included her Group 1 treble in the Flight Stakes, Surround Stakes and notably her defeat of the mares in the Coolmore Classic. Aeliana 's absolute dominance of the 'boys' in the ATC Australian Derby puts her into the conversation but unbeaten Autumn Glow 's obvious potential probably isn't enough to earn the fillies title. The two-year-old award is similarly contentious with four different winners of the juvenile Group 1 races this season. Marhoona only had three starts culminating with her Golden Slipper win so she has to be among the main contenders. Unbeaten Vinrock won his three starts and is the first horse since Full On Aces (1981) to win the VRC Sires'-ATC Sires' double, while Team Hawkes won two-year-olds majors with the very impressive Nepotism (Champagne Stakes) and Devil Night (Blue Diamond). Godolphin's Tempted was the unlucky two-year-old in both the Blue Diamond (seventh) and Golden Slipper (third), but won the Reisling Stakes beating Marhoona in a brilliant 1min 8.49sec and claimed the Percy Sykes Stakes despite enduring a wide run. But her luckless losses in the majors will most likely cost her the juvenile title, too. The champion three-year-old colt or gelding is also up for grabs although Godolphin colt Broadsiding has a compelling case as the only male in the age group to win twice at Group 1 level so far this season with success in the Golden Rose and Rosehill Guineas. He was also placed in the Cox Plate. But Private Harry, unbeaten in five starts, burst on to the scene like a comet this season culminating with wins in The Sunlight and then the Group 1 The Galaxy against older sprinters ensuring he will have plenty of support. Linebacker did beat Broadsiding in the Randwick Guineas (Aeliana was fourth) but that was his only win for the season so he probably hasn't done enough to claim the three-year-old colt or gelding award. Jimmysstar became the only dual Group 1-winning sprinter so far this season with his fast-finishing All Aged Stakes triumph last Saturday complementing an Oakleigh Plate win. But The Everest winner Bella Nipotina is arguably still slight favourite to win the sprinter division although this is a hotly contested award with Briasa (TJ Smith Stakes), Joliestar (Newmarket Handicap), Sunshine In Paris (Champions Sprint) and Overpass (Winterbottom Stakes) all contenders. Similarly, the champion stayer category is also very open. The Melbourne Cup winner often has the advantage but Knight's Choice is behind the likes Duke De Sessa (Caulfield Cup) and Arapaho (Sydney Cup). â– â– â– â– â– 2024-25 HORSE OF THE YEAR AWARD CONTENDERS HORSE OF THE YEAR: Via Sistina CHAMPION MIDDLE DISTANCE: Via Sistina
