Autumn Glow outshines Sheza Alibi to win Winx Stakes as beaten owner eyes rematch

Autumn Glow secured a decisive victory in the Group 1 Winx Stakes at Randwick on August 22, 2026, defeating Sheza Alibi by one and a half lengths. The 1400-meter race, the first Group 1 of the season, featured a thrilling contest between two top contenders, with Autumn Glow bouncing back from her only loss of the year, the 2000-meter Queen Elizabeth Stakes in April. Trained by Chris Waller, the five-year-old filly ran under jockey James McDonald, who positioned her in fourth from gate three and allowed her to take control at the 200-meter mark. She surged ahead and maintained her advantage to cross the finish line first. Sheza Alibi, ridden by Nash Rawiller, started slowly from barrier one but quickly closed the gap, traveling four back on the fence. The four-year-old, trained by Peter Moody and Katherine Coleman, followed Autumn Glow into open space late in the race but was unable to close the distance. Despite the setback, Fred Noffke, the owner of Sheza Alibi, praised her performance. Noffke, who purchased the mare for $10,000 online as a weanling, expressed pride in her effort. “We got a bit more pushed and shoved about, lost a bit of momentum, but overall, yeah, it’s a very strong run,” he said. He hinted at a potential rematch with Autumn Glow over a longer distance, possibly at a mile, where he believes Sheza Alibi is world-class. The outcome of the race has implications for future races, particularly the $20 million Everest, scheduled for October 17. If Autumn Glow continues toward the 1200-meter event, a matchup with Sheza Alibi may not occur. John Messara, part-owner of Autumn Glow and founder of Arrowfield Stud, was pleased with the result. After securing a fourth Group 1 win and a 12th victory in 13 starts, he acknowledged the challenge posed by the field. “She hadn’t raced a lot of these horses before, so there was a bit of an unknown,” he noted. “But she came through OK, and I think she’s done enough.” Chris Waller, who trains Autumn Glow, celebrated another win in the race named after his legendary mare. This marked his 10th triumph in the event. Waller expressed confidence in the ongoing rivalry with Sheza Alibi, suggesting multiple encounters may follow. “We’ve come out of round one pretty well,” he said. “I’m sure there’s going to be a round two and three. Peter might make it a best of five.” Waller also mentioned that if Autumn Glow competes in the Everest, facing defending champion Ka Ying Rising, he might wish they were racing Sheza Alibi instead. Meanwhile, other changes occurred within the stable. Nash Rawiller unexpectedly rode Aeliana after his original mount, Beiwacht, was scratched due to a minor temperature issue. Aeliana, which finished last, had been without a jockey all week and was expected to compete in the Memsie Stakes next week at Caulfield. Beiwacht will now likely run in that race. Waller also withdrew Autumn Boy and Barnavara from the Winx Stakes. He faced scrutiny from stewards regarding the late declaration of Rawiller to ride Aeliana and was fined $500. Waller informed stewards that Autumn Boy would instead compete in the Memsie.