Chris Waller and Damian Lane combined for back-to-back Caulfield Guineas victories as Autumn Boy surged to a brilliant win in the 2025 edition of the Group 1 three-year-old mile classic.

2025 Caulfield Guineas winner Autumn Boy was excellent handing Waller a fourth win in the event. Photo: Ultimate Racing Photos.

In a performance reminiscent of his sire The Autumn Sun, the $4.20 chance powered home in the $3 million Caulfield Guineas (1600m) to claim his first win as a three-year-old.

Drawn ideally in barrier one, Lane gave the colt a patient ride, settling just off the pace before peeling out and unleashing a sharp sprint to defeat $31 outsider Planet Red and Ciaron Maher-trained roughie Observer ($20) by three-quarters of a length and two and a half lengths respectively.

It marked Waller’s fourth Caulfield Guineas triumph and a strong bounce-back from Autumn Boy’s unplaced run in the Golden Rose.

“Beautiful colt just takes everything in his stride, very easy to deal with and a great turn of foot when needed,” Lane said post-race, having also won the race for Waller last year aboard Private Life.

“So, you need that to win these big races, and when he joined in, he really joined in.”

Waller was glowing in his praise for the colt and the team behind him.

“We’re proud of all the horses that come through the stable,” he said.

“But when we’ve got champions like The Autumn Sun and we’ve got sons and daughters, it’s pretty special.

“Last week, Autumn Glow (winning the Epsom Handicap to remain undefeated), now it’s a super colt with Autumn Boy; it’s pretty special.”

Reflecting on Autumn Boy’s seventh-place finish in the Golden Rose, Waller pointed to the race’s record-breaking tempo.

“It was a track record time. Full credit to the winner, he led them up and won,” he said.

“The backmarkers just didn’t quite get us the race because we were just running so quick.

“We didn’t lose faith, the ratings people and our form guys said he’s the one, and sure enough, they were right.

“The sectional timings suggested he actually ran quite well.

“It was his first time in the big dance or the big-time races.

“He’s come through the run well; he’s come down here with plenty of time.

“The team down here have done a great job.

“We brought him to Caulfield; we ticked all the boxes; everything suggested he was ready to run a big race.”

Waller also heaped praise on Lane, calling him a “world-class sportsman”.

“That’s a big thing that we underestimate, how good these jockeys are,” he said.

“What makes them so good is they’re exceptional athletes.

“He’s so good to work with. Again, he’s just an ultimate professional.

“To be able to align with someone like that makes my job so much easier.”

Runner-up Planet Red backed up his third in the Prelude with a brave effort, impressing jockey Jordan Childs.

“He went super,” Childs said of the Admire Mars gelding from the Price/Kent Jnr yard.

“The race worked out well for him. We got a good track into it, he presented, but the winner was too good.

“He ran as well as he could.”

Observer also caught the eye in third after being tightened for room at a key stage.

“Huge run,” jockey Ethan Brown said.

“The run presented and shut, it cost him a lot of momentum, but he still picked himself up and ran third.

“He would have gone very close. They’re taking the right steps forward with him, he will stay.”

The win cements Autumn Boy’s stud credentials and opens the door to a potential tilt at the $6 million Group 1 Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley on October 25. But Waller tempered expectations, citing the colt’s limited racing experience.

“Not sure. I don’t normally because they’re still babies,” he said.

“He’s only had four or five starts, I think. So, it’ll be unlikely for us, but we’ll see what comes out next week, you’ve got the luxury of just sitting tight.

“He’s not overly raced so you can do it, but we’ll have to see how good Via Sistina’s going.”

Last year’s Cox Plate winner Via Sistina has drifted to $3 in all-in betting at Ladbrokes after consecutive thirds in the Makybe Diva and Turnbull Stakes.

Meanwhile, Autumn Boy’s odds have tightened from $26 to $15, despite being an unlikely final acceptor.

2025 Caulfield Guineas Results

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