3 minute read

Arrowfield Stud’s John Messara has been involved in some of the biggest deals in the Australian racing industry but his decision to buy back into a Redoute’s Choice colt that the stud bred and sold as a yearling may prove to be his masterstroke.

The colt is now the most exciting three-year-old in the land with three Group One wins and $3.138 million prizemoney on the board after just eight career starts.

The Autumn Sun was the subject of a massive investment by Messara when he bought 50 percent of the colt after his first G1 win in the Golden Rose Stakes at Rosehill last spring.

Arrowfield Stud bred the young star in partnership with the Aga Khan Studs and sold him at the 2017 Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $700,000 to a syndicate led by Hong Kong-based Hermitage Thoroughbreds.

The move to buy back into the colt has been rewarded with The Autumn Sun subsequently winning the G1 Caulfield Guineas, G2 Hobartville Stakes and Saturday’s G1 Randwick Guineas in a performance for the ages.

Beaten only once in his eight starts, The Autumn Sun is now the most valuable stallion prospect in Australian racing and worth many millions more than what Messara had to stump up last September to secure his stud future.

The Autumn Sun’s reputation and ratings went to a new level on Saturday when he came from a near impossible position 600m from the finish, making up some 10 lengths over the last 300m to record a memorable win.

He was clocked to hit a top speed of 66kmh as he ran his last 600m in 33:94 seconds and last 400m in 22.52, faster than Winx’s 34:09 for her last 600m in the Chipping Norton Stakes over the same course and distance the previous week.

A relieved Messara was moved to declare the win was “the best thing I’ve ever seen on a racecourse” – a sincere if not parochial comment as The Autumn Sun represents the future for Arrowfield on a roster that is headed by Redoute’s Choice and his sons Snitzel, Australia’s current champion sire, and Not A single Doubt.

Chris Waller Racing, Hermitage Thoroughbreds and Mulcaster Bloodstock made up the group that purchased The Autumn Sun as a yearling.

He is the first foal to race from the unraced Galileo mare Azmiyna, a half-sister to the late European champion and sire Azamour (Night Shift).

She is also a half sister to the G2 winner Arazan (Anabaa) and is a three-quarter sister to the stakes-placed Galileo’s Star.

The Autumn Sun’s third dam is the stakes winner Anaza (Darshaan), the dam of the G1 winner Astarabad (Alleged) and stakes-placed Astarak (Rainbow Quest).

Azmiyna’s unnamed 2YO filly by Snitzel was purchased by Waller Racing and Guy Mulcaster for $1.3 million at last year’s Australian Easter Yearling Sale while a three-quarter brother to The Autumn Sun by Not A Single Doubt will be offered by Arrowfield at the 2019 sale next month.

Azmiyna produced a Snitzel colt last spring and she has since been exported to Japan to be covered by Deep Impact to northern hemisphere time.