by Bernard Kenny
In retiring to his birthplace at Arrowfield Stud, The Autumn Sun is described as ‘the spectacular star of his generation, the best colt by super-sire Redoubt’s Choice, and a five-time Group 1 winner.’
In just nine starts over 11 months The Autumn Sun amassed over $3.5m in stakes, and went from being a slick debut winning juvenile, to be the only horse to win the Caulfield, Randwick and Rosehill Guineas and achieve a 126 Timeform rating – equalling that of his sire Redoubt’s Choice.
In winning over 1200m at Royal Randwick, The Autumn Sun ran a class record of 1:08.61sec, before capturing his second race start over 1400m also at Randwick and then completed the season by taking out the all-important JJ Atkins Stakes 1600m at Eagle Farm.
In a 3yo season ‘that rank him with Australia’s best colts of the past quarter-century, including his own legendary sire Redoubt’s Choice,’ The Autumn Sun won the Golden Rose Stakes and the Hobartville Stakes, in addition to his three Guineas victories.
‘The Autumn Sun is the complete package, being by a champion in Redoubt’s Choice and from a champion sire-line,’ says Arrowfield. ‘An internationally recognised pedigree sees him being from the Galileo mare Azmiyna, a half-sister the European Champion racehorse and sire Azamour.’
A bay standing 16.0½hh The Autumn Sun is described as ‘possessing a supremely athletic physique with a splendid racing temperament and a spectacular star of his generation.’
Arrowfield says it has never been afraid of left-field thinking when it comes to stallion selection. This year they were not afraid to add the Dubai Turf winner Real Steel as their fourth Japanese stallion to join Maurice, Mikki Isle and Real Impact in 2019.
In winning the Dubai Turf of 1800m at Meydan on Dubai World Cup Night Real Steel was voted Champion Older Miler in UAE in 2015-16 and achieved a 120 World Thoroughbred Ranking.
“He’s a beautiful horse,” said champion jockey Ryan Moore on winning the Dubai Turf. “He’s got lots of quality. It was a big effort from the horse, he had a tough trip and was out wide but has toughed it out. He never runs a bad race. He’s a very brave horse and has had to do it the hard way.”
The Dubai Turf has continued to rate as a world’s leading 1800m race and was second in 2018 and 47th on the world’s top 100 Group 1 events. It’s been greatly enhanced by the recent Japanese winners Real Steel, Vivlos in 2017 and Horse of the Year Almond Eye in 2019.
Real Steel won his only start at two-years over 1800m at Hanshin, before taking out the Kyoto News Service Hai also at 1800m as a 3yo at Tokyo Racecourse. In competing exclusively in Group races, he was second in both the Group 1 Kikuka Sho and Satsuki Sho, plus fourth in the Japanese Derby.
Following his Dubai Turf victory Real Steel took out the Mainichi Okan of 1800m at Tokyo, before returning to Meydan to finishing a credible third to Benbatl and Vivlos in the Dubai Turf.
A bay standing 16.1½hh Real Steel was bred by Northern Farm and is by the recently deceased Deep Impact who won seven consecutive Japanese stallion premierships, with 42 Group 1 winners, nine of them in Europe, Hong Kong, Dubai and Australia.
A full-brother to this year’s Japanese Oaks winner Loves Only You, Real Steel is a great-grandson of 10-times Group 1 winning blue hen mare Miesque, who founded the family of champion sire Kingmambo, champion 3yo fillies Alpha Centauri and East Of The Moon, plus Real Steel’s close relative, the 2018 French Derby winner Study Of Man, by Deep Impact.
Showtime is the ‘good looking, super competitive son of champion sire Snitzel, a Group 2 winner at 1400m and 1600m, twice Group 1 placed at weight-for-age, brother to Group 1 winner Sweet Idea and grand-son of duel Group 1 winner Electronic.’
As a 3yo Showtime won the Bill Stutt Stakes of 1600m, was second to Trapeze Artist in the Expressway Stakes and Catchy in the Arrowfield 3YO Sprint Stakes, plus third in the All-Aged Stakes and Futurity Stakes. At four he won the PB Lawrence Stakes of 1400m, while he was a Group placed juvenile.
In being crowned Champion Australian Sire of 2018-19 Snitzel now joins fellow greats Star Kingdom, Bletchingly, Sir Tristram and Danehill in being Australian Champion Sire for three successive seasons within the past 60 years, and today is the sire of winners of over $140m in stakes.
A 16.1hh chestnut, Showtime himself was a $1.1m buy by Dean Hawthorne Bloodstock at the 2016 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale from Arrowfield, while his Group 1 winning full-sister Sweet Idea sold for $1.6m as a broodmare, and his younger sister Evening Slippers was a $1.8m yearling.