With her Epsom Handicap victory, Autumn Glow joined a select group of Group 1 winners to have progressed through their first seven starts unbeaten. This week’s Run The Numbers breaks down her quest for equine perfection.
Just three Group 1-winning racehorses in the world this century can boast a longer unbeaten streak than the new superstar of Australian racing, Autumn Glow, who took her winning run to seven with victory in the famous Epsom Handicap at Randwick.
Two of those names are on almost immediate recall for anyone who is a fan of horse racing. Black Caviar’s perfect streak extended to 25, with her first Group 1 win coming at her eighth start in the 2010 VRC Sprint Classic.
Frankel is the other noted unbeaten global champion of the 21st century, progressing through 14 races without defeat, many of them by massive margins. His first Group 1 win came at his fourth start in the 2010 Dewhurst Stakes.
The third unbeaten name ahead of Autumn Glow is French-trained La Cressonniere, who completed her career with eight wins from eight starts. She won four starts as a two-year-old and won her first Group 1 in the Poule d'Essai des Pouliches at her sixth start overall, later adding the Prix Diane to her resume. Injury would end her career at the end of her three-year-old season.
Level with Autumn Glow on seven starts unbeaten as a Group 1 winner is another French champion, although Irish-bred, Zarkava. She won her first Group 1 at start number two, the Prix Marcel Boussac.
Exactly 12 months later, she wrapped up her career with a victory in the 2008 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe, saluting in the famous colours of the Aga Khan. Those colours were, incidentally, to the fore again in the famous French race on Sunday, via Daryz.
Other global horses have been unbeaten over longer than seven starts in the 21st century - Pepper’s Pride (19), Pedro Caiman (11), Handsomchamp (10) and Bullets Fever (eight), but none of that quartet won at Group 1 level.
Aside from Black Caviar, the only other “perfect” Group 1 winner in Australia this century is Reset, who won five starts from debut, culminating in victories in the Australian Guineas and Futurity Stakes. He was retired to stud after those five starts.
Another unbeaten Australian horse worth noting here is Grand Flaneur, who won nine consecutive races from debut in 1880 and 1881, including the AJC Derby, Victoria Derby and the Melbourne Cup.
He retired through injury as a three-year-old and would become a champion sire – one of only three Melbourne Cup winners to achieve that honour.
The ill-fated Malt Queen is another unbeaten champ whose seven victories in 1907/08 included the Sires’ Produce and Champagne Stakes at Randwick. But she died while spelling in the following winter.
Across global horse racing history, unbeaten champions are few and far between. They are led by the Hungarian-bred star Kincsem on 54, then Black Caviar on 25. Others on the historic list, include 18th-century pioneer Eclipse (18) and Italian-trained star of the 1950s Ribot (16) as well as the American Colin, who counted the 1908 Belmont Stakes among his 15 straight wins.
The term “perfect” is only temporary while a horse’s career remains active. Autumn Glow's position among these extraordinary horses is dependent on her remaining unbeaten.
Atlantic Jewel was close to perfection, winning her first nine races, including the 2011 Thousand Guineas at start four, and the 2012 All Aged Stakes and 2013 Memsie Stakes at starts seven and eight.
But she had her colours lowered in a memorable 2013 Underwood Stakes by Dundeel. She would go on and win the Caulfield Stakes by four lengths, but would break down and be retired heading into the Cox Plate.
Barakey emerged from Western Australia in 2011 and 2012, having won 11 straight races from debut, culminating in the 2012 Group 1 Winterbottom Stakes. His quest for perfection ended with defeat in the 2013 Newmarket Handicap.
Australian-bred Hong Kong champion Silent Witness won his first 17 starts, including the 2003 Group 1 HK International Sprint at start eight. But his perfect status was undone by Bullish Luck in the Champions Mile.
Thoroughbreds with seven or more starts unbeaten in the 21st century
