Autumn Glow chases greatness as Messara’s stallion dynasty shines

“What would be John Messara’s best stallion?” asked the beachcomber, salt water soaked and sand blasted, near the surf at Fingal Bay.

Danehill immediately came to mind.

Messara, AM, put Danehill onto the international map. But the master of Arrowfield Stud has developed so many outstanding stallions it was an intriguing question.

The beachcomber was a former bank manager from Concord with a keen interest in the Dragons but obviously gets a better result with the punt.

So why am I traipsing the Fingal Bay shoreline, a spectacular venue, north of Newcastle?

Put it this way: a break was required from the horrendous Woy Woy Saturday railway schedule to the Sydney racing, now undergoing a best of times, worst of times.

The best encompasses the outstanding horses, highlighted in Sydney at Royal Randwick on Saturdays, as well as Flemington’s Black Caviar Lightning Stakes meeting.

Consider the potential of Autumn Glow in the Apollo at Randwick. The horses and those that make them are as good as ever.

The poverty of the Australian Turf Club, highlighted at Randwick, is due to unfair distribution in more ways than one, and now with allegations that staff are pilfering of food and booze.

Champion jockey James McDonald, the subject of a $40,000 slug following whip abuse on appeal, is somewhere between worthwhile and financial pain. J-Mac didn’t beat the rap. While he’s not doing as much time the $20,000 increase isn’t a flea bite, even to an athlete of his earning capacity. Racing during a spectacular period gets benefit of his involvement.

The mention of Messara stallions, though, triggered The Autumn Sun, sire of the unbeaten Autumn Glow, chasing her ninth consecutive success.

The Autumn Sun is the grandson of Danehill, followed by Redoute’s Choice, also highly successful for Messara at stud.

Even the greats of the past don’t overwhelm Messara’s current stallions. Arrowfield’s Snitzel heads the best of the season with The Autumn Sun third, separated by outsider Zoustar.

Still Snitzel has had 233 starters for 97 winners to The Autumn Sun’s 136 for 52, headed by The Autumn Glow, but most weeks, with limited representation, the “Sun” shines.

Take for instance last Saturday at Randwick. Autumn Break, from Albury, should have won the Highway instead of ending third while at Warwick Farm recently, Journeyman, by the stallion, was given a “Stakes class potential” assessment by Dan O’Sullivan’s “Inside Running” after winning a Maiden.

Autumn Glow promises to give me a “company of greats” experience. The price ($1.55) on Friday, doesn’t get me. I would not take that about the sun rising on Saturday let alone a hot favourite against some of Australia’s best.

Consider Aeliana, also under the maestro Chris Waller’s expertise. Waller must rate as Australia’s best ever trainer of fillies and mares. Aeliana in the Winx Stakes last autumn was narrowly beaten by the Horse Of The Year, Via Sistina, another Waller mare.

Via Sistina never transmitted the “greatness” zing nor did Waller’s other outstanding mare, Verry Elleegent, but Winx, from the same stable, did.

Those in the elite category were Winx, Sunline, Makybe Diva and Black Caviar. So did Kingston Town. That’s about it. As I’ve written previously “champion” is a personal experience.

Autumn Glow, a four-year-old, has a way to go but I am out to enjoy the journey if not the gamble.  

Certainly, the quality of opposition Autumn Glow has beaten doesn’t have the depth of Stefi Magnetica, a major rival on Saturday.

Like Autumn Glow, Stefi Magnetica is resuming but trainer Bjorn Baker has given her the type of barrier trial foundation to indicate she is seasoned enough for 1400 metres. She usually commences in 1200 metre sprints.

Waller has six Apollo acceptors with Joe Pride’s Ceolwulf also being candidate of interest. Pride has dropped blinkers from Ceolwulf, who usually doesn’t act first-up. Wait for them to return.

Punters are also faced with the Waller stablemate conundrum in the Expressway with his mares, Joliestar and Lady Shenandoah, a highlight. Beware of his stallion Angel Capitol.

Joliestar is top class with a stylish resuming record while Lady Shenandoah is a Group one winner by the Messara sire, Snitzel, also represented in the Group one, Black Caviar Lighting down south by Golden Slipper winner, Marhoona, prepared by Michaell Freedman.

Marhoona beat Autumn Glow in a recent Randwick barrier trial but how much did Waller keep up this sleeve?

With Messara it’s the eye that’s the key to recognise he describes as “prepotency, which is the ability to pass on genes”, necessary to turn a stallion into a goldmine.

Messara identifies in his bevvy of Arrowfield talent to which the stud master will add Lead Artist, an entire from the United Kingdom, to stand in the southern hemisphere this year.