McDonald and Waller delighted by Autumn Glow's dominant comeback

While James McDonald stops short of placing Autumn Glow on par with Hong Kong ace Romantic Warrior for now, he admits the mare is progressing towards that level.

In a ride that sent shivers down McDonald's spine, Autumn Glow powered home 2-1/2 lengths ahead of Aeliana in the Apollo Stakes (1400m) on Saturday at Randwick, extending her flawless streak to nine victories.

The gelding Romantic Warrior has secured 15 wins from 20 attempts, eight under McDonald's guidance, serving as the jockey's gold standard, though he sees Autumn Glow developing the ability to match him with sustained form.

"It's very special. Just the way and the ease with which she's doing it," McDonald said.

"You've got to remember, there were a lot of stayers in the race. But I'm riding a very good horse in Hong Kong (Romantic Warrior) and she's on a trajectory where she is improving all the time, she is lightly raced, and let's just say, the world is her oyster."

Autumn Glow put on a clinic, tracking the pace comfortably before surging clear with authority over her opposition.

Chris Waller, the handler, views this as evidence of her sharp return, helping him evaluate the best campaign direction.

"The first run of the prep is the most important. It tells you where they are," Waller said.

"You can have as many track gallops, trials and exhibition gallops but until they're under race pressure, you don't really know.

"It tells me she's in a pretty good position."

Her schedule features the Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m) and George Ryder Stakes (1500m) next, before deciding on mile distance or extending to the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at 2000m.

A tilt at the Queen Elizabeth Stakes would likely pit her against Aeliana once more, with Waller satisfied by the mare's reappearance.

"Aeliana was brilliant. It was good to see she can take up a spot if she needs to as well. She was put in the race and she was still strong late," he said.

Lindermann crossed the line third for Waller's trifecta, whereas Joe Pride dealt with Ceolwulf running sixth and bleeding from both nostrils post-Apollo Stakes. Explore the online bookmakers ahead of her future runs.

Scoping was scheduled for the gelding Saturday afternoon to assess potential internal bleeding, resulting in a three-month racing ban if confirmed.

Forty minutes on, Pride's Weeping Woman took the Triscay Stakes (1200m), but Ceolwulf's plight overshadowed the achievement.

"I'm hoping more than anything (that it wasn't a bleed)," Pride said.

"It's not presenting typically like a bleeder would present. It sucked the life out of that win for me."

In the Triscay Stakes, Weeping Woman ($3.40 fav) grabbed her first Group win, edging Manaal ($4.20) by 1-1/4 lengths as Verona Rose ($12) nabbed third a half-neck behind.

The post McDonald, Waller bask in Autumn Glow's stunning return first appeared on Just Horse Racing.