Chris Waller‘s brilliant young mare Autumn Glow retained her flawless record with another impressive win for the punters in Saturday’s 2025 Epsom Handicap results.
2025 Epsom Handicap winner Autumn Glow handed Chris Waller his sixth win in the classic. Photo: Bradley Photos.
The four-year-old daughter of The Autumn Sun made it seven wins from seven starts when easily accounting for her rivals in the Group 1 $1.5 million Epsom Handicap (1600m), a victory that master horseman Waller described as being incredibly important.
A Career-Defining Win
“It means a lot to us; she’s a very talented horse,” Waller told Sky Thoroughbred Central after collecting his sixth Epsom Handicap trophy.
“It’s all about Group 1 racing in my eyes and for the future generations.
“So, it was so important to get that box ticked, that was the biggest relief, I think the next run will be fine.
“I’m not worried about the winning record, it’s almost impossible to keep that intact.”
The mare stepped up to the mile for the first time in her maiden elite-level assignment and was kept very safe as the $1.75 odds-on favourite.
She was enormous, beating home Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott’s 30/1 roughie Fully Lit by nearly one and a half lengths, with Pericles running a close third.
Jockey Kerrin McEvoy had to overcome a wide barrier to guide the heavily backed favourite to victory.
“It was a good effort by her,” McEvoy said.
“She had to offset that gate (12) and she was quickly out of the gates, and I thought, well, I’m going forward.
“I just had to work along the back to get across, and then she came back under me.
“I was pretty happy from the 1000m onwards.”
McEvoy admitted a brief concern when the pace quickened: “I must admit I was a little bit worried around the corner just at the 600m. Fully Lit strode off and she just sort of came off the bridle a little bit quicker than what I thought, but to her credit, she got on her fresh leg turning in and straightened up, and then was away.”
The win confirmed her status as “the real deal” according to race caller Darren Flindell.
Golden Eagle or Empire Rose Next?
Waller indicated that future options for Autumn Glow will likely involve just one more start this campaign, either in Sydney or Melbourne.
“We’re so lucky to be here in Sydney with so many options,” he said.
“I’m just honoured to be training horses like her.
“We just don’t want to over-race her.
“It’s what I call a four-year-old filly, as I say. We won’t over-race her.”
The options are the lucrative $10 million Golden Eagle (1500m) for four-year-olds at Randwick on November 1, or the Group 1 $1 million Empire Rose Stakes (1600m) against the older mares at Flemington on the same date.
“I’ll speak to Mr Messara and his team, and the Hermitage up in Hong Kong, and we’ll see what they all want to do, probably one more run,” Waller said.
“It’s likely either the Golden Eagle or the Empire Rose at Flemington.”
Autumn Glow has now firmed from $4.50 to $2.40 outright favouritism for the Golden Eagle through Ladbrokes and is the $4 second favourite behind Treasurethe Moment ($3) for the Empire Rose Stakes.
2025 Epsom Handicap Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | AUTUMN GLOW | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 12 | 54.5kg | $1.75F | ||
| 2 | 11 | FULLY LIT | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Ms Winona Costin | 1.44L | 7 | 50kg | $31 | |
| 3 | 2 | PERICLES | Bjorn Baker | Joshua Parr | 1.5L | 4 | 57kg | $7.50 | |
| 4 | 10 | SWIFTFALCON | Michael, John & Wayne Hawkes | Ms Alysha Collett | 2.12L | 3 | 50kg | $13 | |
| 5 | 5 | PIER (NZ) | Darryn & Briar Weatherley | Ethan Brown | 3.08L | 11 | 53.5kg (cd 54kg) | $11 | |
| 6 | 1 | CEOLWULF (NZ) | Joseph Pride | Chad Schofield | 3.52L | 8 | 58kg | $12 | |
| 7 | 14 | LORD PENMAN (NZ) | Chris Waller | Zac Lloyd | 3.97L | 9 | 50kg (cd 50.5kg) | $31 | |
| 8 | 12 | VERONA ROSE | Gary Portelli | Ben Thompson | 4.03L | 2 | 50kg | $51 | |
| 9 | 7 | ENCAP | Gary Portelli | Reece Jones | 4.21L | 5 | 52kg | $26 | |
| 10 | 3 | YELLOW BRICK | Tony & Maddysen Sears | Andrew Mallyon | 4.32L | 10 | 55.5kg | $91 | |
| 11 | 8 | EL CASTELLO | Joseph Pride | Andrew Adkins | 4.42L | 1 | 51kg | $16 | |
| 12 | 9 | DEPTH OF CHARACTER | Annabel & Rob Archibald | Ms Rachel King | 5.31L | 6 | 50kg | $41 | |
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