Autumn Glow, unbeaten in nine starts in Australia since August 2024, has yet to face a serious test and is unlikely to have one in Saturday’s Group 1 Verry Elleegant Stakes at a mile at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney.
Autumn Glow, who won her first start of 2026 by slightly more than 2 1/2 lengths in the Group 1 Apollo Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 14, has been an odds-on favorite in her last six starts. Autumn Glow was 2-5 in early betting on Wednesday for the $712,300 Verry Elleegant Stakes.
The Verry Elleegant is very nearly an intramural scrimmage for runners trained by Chris Waller, including Autumn Glow, a 4-year-old filly in the Southern Hemisphere. Of the nine entrants, Waller trains seven.
Waller does not train Sir Delius, a 5-year-old British-bred horse who was 5-1 in early betting. Sir Delius has won 3 of 4 starts for trainers Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse since arriving from Europe. In his last race on that continent, Sir Delius was eighth in the Group 1 Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe at Longchamp Racecourse in Paris in October 2024.
Sir Delius won consecutive Group 1 races in Australia at the end of his 2025 season, the Underwood Stakes at 1 1/8 miles at Caulfield on Sept. 20 and the Turnbull Stakes at 1 1/4 miles at Flemington on Oct. 4. The Verry Elleegant Stakes is the first start at a mile for Sir Delius since a second by a neck in the Group 2 Chelmsford Stakes at Randwick on Sept. 6.
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Post time for the Verry Elleegant Stakes is 12:40 a.m. Eastern on Saturday. There are two other Group 1 races in Australia that day.
In the race preceding the Verry Elleegant Stakes, Tempted, a winner of 5 of 10 starts, will be an odds-on favorite to win her first Group 1 in her fourth start at that level in the $534,200 Surround Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-old fillies at seven furlongs at Randwick.
Tempted won the Group 3 Esk Prince Stakes as the 3-5 favorite at six furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 7. Trained by Ciaron Maher, Tempted ended her 2025 season with a second to the mighty Hong Kong sprinter Ka Ying Rising in the Group 1, $13.09 million Everest Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick in October. The Everest Stakes is the world’s richest sprint.
Apocalyptic, winner of the Group 1 Flight Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at a mile last October, is the 3-1 second choice in early betting for the Surround Stakes. Trained by Michael Freedman, Apocalyptic has never been worse than second in six starts. Apocalyptic was second by three-quarters of a length in the Group 2 Light Fingers Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick on Feb. 14 in her first start since October.
At Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne, Observed and Sixties lead a field of 10 Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds in the Group 1, $712,300 Australian Guineas at a mile.
Observed, trained by Maher, has won his last three starts at distance ranging from seven furlongs to 1 9/16 miles, including the Group 1 Victorian Derby on Nov. 1. Sixties, trained by Waller, has won his last two starts, including the Group 3 C.S. Hayes Stakes at seven furlongs at Flemington on Feb. 14.
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