Autumn Boy has commenced the week in Melbourne, but Chris Waller anticipates the multiple Group 1 winner will be in Sydney by Saturday for the running of the Epsom Handicap at Randwick.
The champion trainer confirmed at the weekend that the historic mile, a Group 1 event worth $1.5 million, was the plan for the Caulfield Guineas and Rosehill Guineas victor.
The son of The Autumn Sun’s first two races this campaign – an eighth in the Memsie Stakes and a second in the Makybe Diva Stakes – have been in Melbourne. He will have his final gallop there before heading north after Tuesday morning’s barrier draw.
Waller indicated that the colt would need to perform particularly poorly in his next start for him to consider altering his plan, with champion jockey James McDonald already booked for the ride.
“Maybe (if he drew) barrier 20, but when we’re committed to James I’d say he’d come up,” Waller said when asked what would prevent him from running in the Epsom.
“He’s not back from Melbourne, he’s going to gallop there Tuesday and he’s going to come back Wednesday night. I guess there is a five per cent chance I could run him in the Turnbull, but that’s highly unlikely. He’ll run in the Epsom, that’s our plan and James (McDonald) is booked to ride him so that’s showing our hand pretty firmly.”
Autumn Boy was entered for Saturday’s Turnbull Stakes at Flemington as a precaution, but Waller’s likely runners in that $1 million Group 1 are Aeliana, Asterix, Buckaroo, Birdman, and O’Hope Wins.
This weekend, Autumn Boy will aim to go one better than his runner-up finish in Randwick’s other major Group 1 mile handicap, the Doncaster Mile, where he was beaten by Sheza Alibi in April this year. He also finished second to the Victorian mare in the Randwick Guineas and in his most recent start, the 1600m Makybe Diva Stakes on September 12.
Autumn Boy carries 55.5kg in the Epsom Handicap, for which he is the $3.50 favourite, ahead of unbeaten Kiwi star Well Written ($4.50), Attica ($6), and Ceolwulf ($8).
Check out the betting markets for the Epsom Handicap with Australian betting sites.
