Messara answers Hayes’ Autumn Glow match race call

A sporting John Messara has responded to trainer David Hayes’ Ka Ying Rising match race “trash talk”, declaring he is open to reigning Australian Horse of the Year Autumn Glow clashing with the Hong Kong superstar in a one-off match race.

Hayes on Tuesday flagged the potential for Hong Kong’s champion sprinter Ka Ying Rising and Autumn Glow to race against each other over “1400m or 1500m”.

Sheza Alibi was also thrown into the mix by Hayes for the sporting contest that would put the world’s best sprinter up against Autumn Glow, who made it 12 wins from 13 starts with a first-up victory in the Winx Stakes. 

“I think an invitational race would be more interesting to us because Royal Ascot in June is when he needs a spell, especially for the horse’s wellbeing,” Hayes told Giddy Up with Gareth Hall.

“In terms of an invitational race, nothing is confirmed, just a bit of trash talk.

“I would love to do it but we would just need to get the times and dates right.

“It would be very exciting for racing if it happened.”

Arrowfield Stud principal and the star mare’s managing owner Messara bought into the hype, telling The Straight: “If a suitable race existed where we could meet then that would be exciting, for us and for the racing public, I’m sure, but nothing is afoot at this time.” 

When and where such a match race would be held and who would put up the money are unanswered questions that would determine whether such a proposition would occur.

Messara, Autumn Glow’s co-owner Hermitage Thoroughbreds, trainer Chris Waller and her jockey James McDonald met last week to determine the five-year-old mare’s spring campaign.

After defeating Sheza Alibi in the Winx Stakes, itself billed as a match race by some pundits, connections elected to bypass The Everest which would have seen Autumn Glow come up against last year’s winner Ka Ying Rising and 10 other rivals.

Instead, Autumn Glow will have her next start in the 7 Stakes on September 19 on her way to the King Charles III on Everest day before a probable start at Flemington during Melbourne Cup week.

Ka Ying Rising begins his tilt at back-to-back Everests in the Group 3 HKSAR Chief Executive’s Cup Handicap at Hong Kong’s opening meeting of the 2026/27 season at Sha Tin on Sunday. 

Hayes said the International Sprint in December and April’s Champions Sprint Prize were integral races for Ka Ying Rising and any backers of the match-race concept would need to fit in with that program.

“As I said, from my horse’s point of view, he has to run in the two international races here. One in December and one in April,” Hayes said. 

“So, that means it would have to be either before the Champions Day here or just after it. Just after would be exciting.

“They (Autumn Glow’s connections) might want to have a race in Hong Kong on the way (to Royal Ascot next year).”

It would not be the first time Hayes has been involved in a match race, with the then young trainer preparing Better Loosen Up in a TAB Super Challenge against Bart Cummings’ Let’s Elope.

The two-horse clash occurred over 2000m at Caulfield on Wednesday, October 14, 1992, in front of a reported 20,000, with Cummings scooping the $75,000 winner-takes-all prize. Let’s Elope stopped the clock in a pedestrian 2:08.50 seconds.

In 2016, Hayes had He Or She up against Winx and Black Heart Bart in a three-horse $600,000 Group 1 Caulfield Stakes. Winx, of course, won comfortably with He Or She picking up $54,000 for his third-placed effort.

It would take a much bigger purse, and some marketing wizzes, to make this match race happen a decade later.