It’s a tall order for any stallion to match the achievements of Redoute’s Choice, Snitzel or Not A Single Doubt, but The Autumn Sun’s second stakeswinner from his first 26 runners confirms he has a hoof on the same road to success.
His 2YO first-crop daughter Coco Sun sped to a 1.7-length victory in Saturday’s $120,000 SAJC Oaklands Plate 1400m LR, defeating Deadly Press and the favourite Dubenenko with a decisive turn of foot.
The stakes win didn’t come as a great surprise to Coco Sun’s trainers, especially after her debut success at Geelong on 30 June.
Co-trainer Tony McEvoy said, “We have a lot of time for her. We have thought for a while that she is a filly that could figure in the spring. That was a great step today.
“If you look at the Geelong race, she was five and six wide, facing the breeze the whole way. She did an incredible job and ran the fastest 400 metres and 600 metres of the day.”
Bred and sold by Tyreel Stud, Coco Sun is the third winner and first stakeswinner out of Miss Hufflepuff (by Encosta de Lago), a city-winning full sister to Champion Hong Kong Stayer Liberator, and half-sister to the dam of Group 2 winner Etana.
Coco Sun was a $250,000 Inglis Classic Sale purchase by McEvoy Mitchell & agent Damon Gabbedy’s Belmont Bloodstock and on-sold to well-known New Zealand owner Terry Jarvis.
The Autumn Sun’s Group 1-placed winner Tulsi (ex Talimena by Lonhro) was also bought from the Classic Sale, out of Valiant Stud’s draft, while Group 3 winner Autumn Ballet (ex Grisi by Street Cry) was sold by Arrowfield at Inglis Easter.
Tutta La Vita and Ashfall have also won, and 11 other first-crop juveniles by the 5-time Group 1 winner have been placed. They include the city placegetters Alectrona, Autunno, Deciduous, Influential, Matusalem & Private Legacy, an eye-catching runner-up over 1400 metres at Randwick a couple of hours before Coco Sun’s stakes victory.
The Autumn Sun’s first season sire record compares favourably with his famous Arrowfield predecessors at the same stage, including his legendary sire Redoute’s Choice:
| REDOUTE’S CHOICE at 14 July 2004 |
NOT A SINGLE DOUBT at 16 July 2009 |
SNITZEL at 16 July 2010 |
THE AUTUMN SUN at 16 July 2023 |
| 7 winners from 29 first-crop 2YO runners inc: NOT A SINGLE DOUBT – Listed winner TAHNI GIRL – debut Listed winner Bishops Rock – G1-placed winner |
13 winners from 43 first-crop 2YO winners inc: Regal Flame – stakes-placed winner |
12 winners from 38 first-crop 2YO runners inc: CHANCE BYE – Group 2 winner Jypsiere – stakes-placed winner |
5 winners from 26 first-crop 2YO runners inc: AUTUMN BALLET – debut Group 3 winner COCO SUN – Listed winner Tulsi – G1-placed winner
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– Arrowfield Stud
