David Thiselton
The Chris Waller-trained Australian racehorse Autumn Glow has become a global sensation after making it ten wins unbeaten when winning the Aus $1 million Gr1 Verry Elleegant Stakes run over a mile at Randwick on Saturday and this is a triumph for South African thoroughbred breeding, because she is out of the former Duncan Howells-trained Equus Champion Sprinter Via Africa.
Her success is good news for Cape Town-based racing man Rod Mattheyse because he not only has a share in Via Africa, but also has an interest in her family in South Africa.
Rod noticed a small share was available in Via Africa in Australia a few years ago and said, “I decided to take it up and one of the main reasons was because I owned her half-sister by What A Winter out here called, I Like It Hot.”
The good news is that the speedy I Like It Hot, who won one race for Dennis Drier in KZN and one for Tara Laing in the East Cape, is now producing at stud.
Rod revealed, “Her first foal is a Rafeef filly who is on the Race Coast Sales Premier Yearling Sale in a couple of weeks’ time. She now has a Thunderstruck at foot and is in foal again to Rafeef.”
He added, “The Rafeef on the Sale is a first foal, but she is high quality and very correct. She is beautiful.”
He continued, “The Thunderstruck … well call me a breeder, but she’s an absolute bomb! She’s obviously got a bit more Var in her than the Rafeef one. But I can’t wait for the next Rafeef to come around as she throws a bit of scope to him as well.”
Meanwhile Via Africa is in foal to the most expensive stallion in Australia, Zoustar.
She is standing currently at Widden Stud.
As Autumn Glow’s unbeaten record grows comparisons are being made to two previous sensational females trained by Chris Waller, Winx, who won 33 races in a row and won a record 25 Gr 1s, and Black Caviar, who holds a modern international record for top level thoroughbred racing because she won all 25 of her races.
Rod said, “I think one of Autumn Glow’s owners, John Messara of Arrowfield Stud, is circumspect in the number of times he races his mares. They tend to give her a target of about four or five runs and then rest her. John Messara is of the view that if you over-race a mare they don’t produce at stud.”
Autumn Glow has won two Gr 1s to date.
The George Ryder Stakes (Gr 1, 1500m) at Rosehill on March 21 shapes as her next assignment, with Waller leaving the door ajar for a potential rise to 2000 metres, possibly in April’s Queen Elizabeth Stakes (Gr 1, 2000m) back at Randwick, should she continue to dominate at weight-for-age level. The Doncaster Mile (Gr 1, 1600m) also remains in calculations, though the handicap conditions pose their own challenges.
“I’d love to try her at 2000 metres, but she’s got to be dominant in her next win to give us that ultimate satisfaction that she can run it, otherwise it’s probably the Doncaster,” Waller said.
He continued, “She’s a different type to some of those good horses I’ve trained, when they get back and have your heart in your mouth. She’s up on the speed. She puts herself there, so that’s the difference.”
Rod said there was also a possibility she would travel to Royal Ascot, depending on how the next two races went.
A story surfaced a couple of years ago that Via Africa had been seen in poor condition at a Sale.
Rod explained she has got a knee problem, but is as sound as a mare can possibly be. She is still comfortable on the knee and it is not hindering her at all at the moment and the right thing would be done if it was bothering her.
Furthermore, he said she was a mare who lightened up a lot with travel and with the bit of associated stress, so the picture taken in the small window of one Sale she travelled to was not at all the correct presentation of her wellbeing.
He said John Kelly, the owner of Newhaven Stud where she was standing at the time, was a highly respected horseman. That is to the extent that he is one of only three non-Chinese owners in Hong Racing.
“He is not somebody who is going to be mal-treating horses and she only moved to Widden Stud because that was where she was being covered. That made it as stress-free as possible for her and she is happy and content there and being well looked after.”
Via Africa has actually produced two Gr 1 winners.
The first of them was called In The Congo by Snitzel, trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
In The Congo has already had a milestone at stud in that in his first year he received more mares than any other first season sire in the whole of Australia.
Interestingly, in the only Gr 1 he won he beat Anamoe, who is currently the most fashionable first season sire in Australia. This nine-time Gr 1-winning Anamoe’s opening service fee was Aus$121,000 and he has already had a Aus$1 million progeny at the Sales.
In The Congo, whose first crop are now yearlings, has had a Aus$625,000 colt purchased by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Things are looking bright for the family of Via Africa and Autumn Glow will continue to be followed with awe by South African racing fans.
