UPDATE: Autumn Glow has been scratched from the Flight Stakes and the spring due to lameness requiring surgery to remove a bone chip from her right front knee.
The weekend’s racing action down under is headlined by the bumper Epsom Handicap Day card at Randwick on Saturday with the undefeated Autumn Glow heading markets for the prestigious Group 1 $750,000 Flight Stakes (1600m).
Autumn Glow is odds-on to retain her unbeaten status in Saturday’s 2024 Flight Stakes. Photo: Steve Hart.
Nine of the season’s top three-year-old fillies face off in the mile event and The Autumn Sun filly Autumn Glow is the firm $1.55 favourite in markets at Ladbrokes to extend her winning streak to four on the trot.
She is three from three to date with recent wins in the Group 3 Up & Coming Stakes where she beat the colts by two lengths at Rosehill and the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes here over 1400m showing off her talent and ability ahead of her first Group 1 assignment.
Historically the Tea Rose has been the best form race for the Flight Stakes and Autumn Glow looks prime to do the double and hand Waller a third win in the event.
Autumn Glow’s perfect record is there to be defeated by nine rivals including three of her stablemates with Waller also saddling-up the well-supported Gorup 3 Ming Dynasty Quality winner Lady Shenandoah along with double figure hopes Lazzura and Declichy Boulevard.
The other key danger joining Lady Shenandoah at $6 Flight Stakes odds through Ladbrokes is John O’Shea and Tom Charlton‘s Snow In May, another daughter of Waller’s former champion turned ace sire The Autumn Sun.
Snow In May is progressing quickly through the ranks and comes off an unexpected second-place finish behind Autumn Glow in the Tea Rose in her first Group assignment.
The 2024 Flight Stakes is scheduled as Race 6 at Randwick on Saturday, with a post time of 3:00 pm AEST.
With a talented field of potential Cox Plate-bound fillies and an undefeated favourite keeping the bookies on a leash, the Flight Stakes shapes up as an excellent opener to the Group 1 racing in Sydney on Saturday.
2024 Flight Stakes Field
| No | Last 10 | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Barrier | Weight | Probable Weight | Penalty | Hcp Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1×12 | SNOW IN MAY | John O’Shea & Tom Charlton | Kerrin McEvoy | 7 | 56kg | 86 | ||
| 3 | 11×34 | LAZZURA | Chris Waller | Craig Williams | 8 | 56kg | 82 | ||
| 4 | 32×1 | LADY SHENANDOAH | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd (a) | 6 | 56kg | 74 | ||
| 6 | 41445×07 | MISS BUSSLINGER | Kris Lees | Dylan Gibbons | 5 | 56kg | 72 | ||
| 7 | 34×11 | HARLEM QUEEN | Nathan Doyle | Sam Clipperton | 2 | 56kg | 67 | ||
| 9 | 56×43 | POWERS OF OPAL (NZ) | John Sargent | Tommy Berry | 1 | 56kg | 64 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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