The Autumn Sun to have 'the best start of any horse' at Arrowfield

John Messara says five-time Group 1 winner The Autumn Sun, arguably the best colt to be produced by his champion sire Redoute's Choice, will cover the best book of mares of any first-season stallion to ever retire to Arrowfield Stud.

The Hunter Valley stud confirmed on Thursday that the Chris Waller-trained three-year-old colt, who won eight of his nine starts at distances ranging from 1,200 metres to 2,000 metres, would retire to stud rather than racing on as a four-year-old.

Messara said the death of Redoute's Choice at the age of 22 last month ended any thought of continuing the racing career of The Autumn Sun, who won the JJ Atkins Stakes at two and returned this season to claim the Golden Rose Stakes and the Caulfield Guineas, before completing a hat-trick of victories in the Group 2 Hobartville Guineas, Randwick Guineas and Rosehill Guineas.

“It wasn’t an inevitable decision," Messara told ANZ Bloodstock News on Thursday. "It was quite a vexing question as to which way we should go, but when Redoute's passed away it became fairly clear that if The Autumn Sun retired now he would get the benefit of all the mares that Redoute's would have otherwise got from us and that would give him an enormous start in life."

"It's not the numbers but the quality, and with Redoute’s passing that opportunity became available. It was decided that seeing his breeding career would be for 20 years and his racing career would be for another six or nine months that we would go for the long-term option."

The Autumn Sun will stand for a fee of A$77,000 (£42,100/€48,900) this year and Messara said the stallion would be restricted to a book of around 150 mares, of which Arrowfield and Hermitage would provide around 70.

Arrowfield Stud has already earmarked 41 mares for The Autumn Sun, with Hermitage and Messara set to be active at the upcoming mare sales in a bid to bolster the broodmare band destined for the stallion.

"He'll suit a wide variety of mares - he's going to be a beauty for that," said Messara. "He'll certainly suit the locally bred, sharp, powerful mares because he has got the scope. He is medium sized, he is not a gigantic horse."

Bred by the Aga Khan Studs in partnership with Arrowfield, The Autumn Sun was a A$700,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase in 2017 by agent Guy Mulcaster on behalf of Hermitage Thoroughbreds and Chris Waller Racing.

He is the first foal to race out of the unraced European mare Azmiyna, a Galileo half-sister to champion European racehorse and stallion Azamour, as well as the Group 2 winner Arazan.

Azmiyna, who is in foal to Deep Impact to northern hemisphere time, had The Autumn Sun's three-quarter sister by Snitzel sell for A$1.3 million to Mulcaster at last year's Easter Sale while Aquis Farm purchased the three-quarter brother by Not A Single Doubt for A$900,000 at this week’s Inglis sale.

“The Autumn Sun is by the best sire in this part of the world for the past 20 years and out of a mare by the best sire in Europe for the past 20 years, and she is from a grand family, so he has got everything laid out for him," said Messara.

"People worried about his stoutness and those sorts of things have got to realise that sure, he got the 2,000 metres under extreme pressure, but he ran 1:08.6 at his first start over 1,200 metres at Randwick, which was a class record, so he has got plenty of zing. He's a special unit.”

Among Redoute’s Choice’s sire sons are Arrowfield Stud resident and champion sire Snitzel and fellow barnmates Not A Single Doubt, Scissor Kick and Pariah.

“Redoute’s is the number one sire maker in this country and the Danehill line has been the most prolific sire line in this country for the past 20 years,” added Messara.

“Danehill and his sons have won 19 of the last 20 Australian general sire premierships, so it's pretty simple.

“He's the best son of the best son, so he is going to get an enormous opportunity in terms of quality and numbers.

“He's going to get the best start of any horse I've had going to stud, I can tell you that categorically.”

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