Waller stars are back in trials

SYDNEY – A swag of Chris Waller’s established stars, headlined by glamour mare Autumn Glow, launched spring campaigns at Randwick on the morning of July 19.

Those Waller-trained Group 1 winners littered the first three trials, which were all conducted over 900m on the course proper after the trials planned for July 17 were rescheduled due to wet weather.

Autumn Glow finished third behind runaway winner Napoleonic in the first trial, 10 minutes before fellow star mare Aeliana fourth in the trial won by stablemate Barnavara.

The trials were held more than a month before their projected return to the races.

Autumn Glow is slated to resume in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1,400m) on Aug 22, and Waller said things will get more serious for his team in the coming weeks.

“The Winx Stakes is about five weeks away, so we’ve still got a long way to go,” he said.

“They will only start to get tuned up after their second trial.

“It’s all about blowing the cobwebs out and making sure everything is good, keeping them mentally right, and being ahead of it.”

Autumn Glow was the first head to show out in her trial, before she was restrained by Kiwi jockey James McDonald and settled second last, ahead of only stablemate Autumn Boy.

The daughter of The Autumn Sun stayed there until 200m from home, when she was allowed to improve despite little urging from McDonald to edge out stablemate Lady Shenandoah for third on the line.

McDonald was also aboard Aeliana, who coasted to the line in a trial where horses held their positions for most of the workout.

The Castelvecchio mare was beaten 4¼ lengths by Barnavara, whose only Australian start was a fourth in the Group 2 Neville Sellwood Stakes (2,000m) when ridden by McDonald.

Kerrin McEvoy was aboard the daughter of Calyx in the trial, but Waller said McDonald had done some work on her this preparation and his feedback had contributed to his excitement ahead of the French Group 1 winner’s return.

“She has put on about 30 kilos, so she looks like an Australian horse,” said Waller.

“James is rapt. He says she feels like a completely different horse. That’s exciting.”

The Waller-trained Wootton Verni finished second in Trial 2, in which dual Oaks winner Ohope Wins was also engaged and finished just behind Aeliana.

McDonald was also on board the injury-plagued import Soulcombe, who surged to the line to finish third in the third trial, beaten less than a length by Screen Icon.

Soulcombe has battled tendon issues the past couple of seasons. He has not been to the races, since his second behind Without A Fight in the 2023 Group 1 Melbourne Cup (3,200m). SKY RACING WORLD