The King Charles III Stakes over 1600m at 5:35PM is down to five runners after the scratching of Pride Of Jenni, and C J Waller trains three of them. On a Soft Randwick track, the best of that trio looks the best horse in the race.
Autumn Glow has won four of five Randwick starts and placed in all five. The five-year-old has won both runs in the last three months, earning $1.16 million, and the form line of 111311 shows only one run outside the first two. J B McDonald rides from barrier 4. McDonald has 35 wins from 143 Randwick rides, and he and Waller have teamed up for 19 wins from 93 rides here. Autumn Glow also carries two kilograms less than the other four.
The danger is from the same stable. God’s Window has two wins and four placings from four Randwick starts, won last start, and has Siena Grima aboard from barrier 2. Grima places at close to half of 102 Randwick rides. Two runs in the last three months returned a win and $877,200 in prize money, so the class is there. If Autumn Glow has an off day, this is the one that benefits.
The third Waller runner, Militarize, has Z Purton but has not placed in three runs in the last 90 days and has one placing from three Randwick starts. Ceolwulf, for Joseph Pride with C Schofield, has two placings from six Randwick starts without a win, but has placed in two of four recent runs. Just Folk, the 10-year-old from Gavin Bedggood’s stable with J Mott, has placed at all three recent starts without winning and is the each-way outsider.
No prices were up at the time of writing.
Verdict: Autumn Glow to win, and the safest leg on the card for multis. God’s Window is the clear second pick, with Just Folk the best of the rest for a place.