Gai Waterhouse | Gai Waterhouse News 54302 Group 3 Success For Daughter Of The Autumn Sun On Debut

The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained filly had lit the track up in February when winning a 900-metre trial at Rosehill Gardens by over 7l.

And she brought that form to the racetrack when scoring an emphatic win from her stablemate, the Time Test (GB) colt The Year (NZ) 2.7l away in second, and the Peter and Paul Snowden-trained Extreme Choice colt Make A Call a further 1.14l away in third.

In winning the G3 Black Opal S. on Sunday afternoon, Autumn Ballet became the first horse to win the race on debut.

An honour roll that includes Trapeze Artist, Criterion (NZ), Epaulette and Catbird, she is in an esteemed company.

Arrowfield Stud’s Bloodstock Manager Jon Freyer was full of praise for the filly.

“She won impressively and so professionally. I thought that was incredibly exciting.”

Arrowfield Stud bred Autumn Ballet is a daughter of resident stallion The Autumn Sun and Street Cry mare Grisi, who is a placed half-sister to Albrecht, and a granddaughter of Shadea (NZ) (Straight Strike {USA}), the dam of Lonhro.

Arrowfield consigned and sold the filly at the 2022 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale for $340,000 to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott with Kestrel Thoroughbreds.

“She was a beautiful quality filly, nice size, short coupled, just an extremely attractive filly,” Freyer told TDN AusNZ.

“She had a beautiful hip on her and looked on the sharper side of the sire’s progeny.”

“She wasn’t the most expensive filly by any stretch, but she is a star. Everybody sees them a little bit differently.”

Trainer Chris Waller described The Autumn Sun as one of the best colts he has trained. In a career that comprised nine starts, he won eight of them, including four separate Guineas races.