The highly touted Autumn Glow faced a surprising defeat in the Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Royal Randwick, with Sir Delius claiming victory by two lengths in a dramatic upset.
Despite being the favourite at $1.35 with various bookmakers, Autumn Glow could only manage a third-place finish.
Jockey Nash Rawiller piloted the Chris Waller-trained Lindermann into second place, passing the favourite just before crossing the finish line.
Pre-race, Sir Delius’ co-trainer Gai Waterhouse remarked during Channel Seven’s coverage that the five-year-old was “the best weight-for-age horse in Australia over 2000 metres”.
Sir Delius crosses the finish line ahead of Autumn Glow. Sky Racing
“If he were to win the Queen Elizabeth, it would certainly elevate him in the rankings as the premier weight-for-age horse in Australia,” she noted.
After the race, triumphant jockey Craig Williams praised Waterhouse and co-trainer Adrian Bott for their efforts.
“A big shout-out to Adrian Bott, Gai Waterhouse, and their entire team. When I rode him two weeks ago, I thought he was going well, but I also felt he lacked speed,” he told Sky Racing.
“However, a week later, after I tested him again, I told the team, ‘You’ve done an exceptional job’… what an incredible racehorse and performance!”
On the other hand, Autumn Glow’s jockey James McDonald described his mount as “tremendously brave” despite her not being able to sustain a final push.
“The winning team executed their tactics perfectly, and fair play to them; Sir Delius was outstanding on the day,” he told Channel Seven.
“We had a nice run into it, but she felt the strain in the final stretch; that said, she still fought valiantly.”
Compiled by SportArena.au.
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