Autumn Glow's Flemington triumph showcases champion qualities

While the victory in the Champions Mile at Flemington was perhaps harder fought than her prohibitive odds indicated, Autumn Glow firmly established her regal class.

Facing her for the first time away from Sydney and at this renowned track, any potential disruption caused by the change of scenery was definitively put to rest.

Crossing the line a 1¼-length winner, Autumn Glow ($1.18) had to fend off a spirited challenge from stablemate Lindermann ($16). She drew level with the gelding at the top of the straight, ultimately settling the nerves of trainer Chris Waller as they reached the finish of the Group 1 1600-metre event.

"I was (nervous) because you don't want a horse like Autumn Glow to disappoint," Chris Waller stated. "There's a massive crowd here today and it was good to see her go through her paces. She had to put up a fight. Lindermann, he dug deep and to come away that last 100 metres, it was special."

Autumn Glow etched her name in history as the 23rd horse to capture both the Group 1 King Charles III Stakes (1609m) and the Champions Mile in the same racing year. For Waller, it was his fifth triumph in this race, dating back to Albert The Fat's win in 2013.

Her race record now boasts 15 wins from 16 starts, with career earnings exceeding $14.5 million. James McDonald has been the jockey for 11 of these victories.

"She was a little bit lost, at sea a bit, and even when we straightened and I gave her a click, she took about 50 metres to get going," McDonald reported. "But once she opened the shoulders up, she was never going to get rolled. She's just a brilliant specimen, a pleasure to ride, she's just so, so special."

The jockey agreed that the five-year-old mare is undoubtedly Australia's premier miler, a title she needed to draw upon to succeed at Flemington.

"I think so," McDonald affirmed. "Now that she's had this run here, it's very foreign to her, but you look up at the Flemington straight, the roses, the people, she knew she was somewhere different and she was a little slow to balance and quicken up, but she's a champion."

He added, "Champions make their own luck in this game and she just plants herself on speed and away she goes. She's an absolute pleasure to ride. A jockey's dream."

Buckaroo ($14) finished third, ensuring the Waller stable secured a clean sweep of the top three positions.

Betting on the Champions Mile is available through various betting sites.