Bullets with hooves: McDonald is loaded and ready to fire on Champions day

November 6, 2026 — 6:15pmSome trainers and jockeys wait a lifetime to be involved in one good horse. On Saturday, Chris Waller and James McDonald will race three in 80 minutes – Joliestar, Autumn Glow and Aeliana.It will be testament to Flemington’s decision to rebrand the final meeting of Melbourne Cup week Champions Day.For the first time this spring, all the best horses, trainers and jockeys are in the one place – with the exception of Sheza Alibi, which has been sent for a spell.James McDonald and Autumn Glow at Randwick for the King Charles III Stakes last month.Getty ImagesWaller and McDonald fronted the media on Friday morning to give punters a run-down on their three great mares.Autumn GlowMcDonald said Autumn Glow had become the people’s horse after winning 14 of her 15 career starts.“Everyone at Chris Waller Racing, they just adore her,” McDonald said.“She’s such a special horse to everyone. She’s not only the owner’s horse, she’s the public’s horse.“There’s a great expectation with her, and we just hope she can strut her stuff here at Flemington.”Fresh off winning four races on Derby Day, McDonald said Autumn Glow was adaptable to all conditions, all tactics and could handle the Melbourne way of going.McDonald aboard Aeliana on Cox Plate day.Getty ImagesThe five-year-old mare is the $1.20 favourite in the Champions Mile.“She can do things that other horses can’t. So you can use her bullets when you need to use them.”AelianaWaller has experience winning the Champions Stakes (2000m) and believes he can win a third with Aeliana.“My confidence grew in the last two years with Via Sistina backing up after a tough Cox Plate run,” the trainer said.“Aeliana’s come through it [the Cox Plate] well. So the beauty of it [is] you get another chance to say who’s the best at the spring.“There’s only one Cox Plate winner, but it’ll be good to turn the tables [on Cosmic Crusader].“I’m sure there are a few others who feel the same way. But again, the racing public are the winners. Seeing these horses race twice in two weeks, it’s great for everybody.”JoliestarSprinting mare Joliestar faces the toughest task of Waller’s three group 1 stars, facing The Everest winner Tempted in the Champions Sprint.But having already earned career prizemoney of $11.2 million, McDonald is confident of landing another hefty cheque because of the Flemington straight.Tempted, trained by Ciaron Maher and to be ridden by Chad Schofield, has never raced at Flemington before, while Joliestar has won and placed at the same track over the same distance.“Tempted is a superstar, and she’s definitely got the wood on Jolie Star,” McDonald said.James McDonald and Chris Waller with the Toorak Handicap trophy at Caulfield last month.Getty Images“But she’s never been up the straight, so there’s that little question mark that we’re gravitating to.“We hope we can turn the tables, but you never know. It’s a horse race.“A few favourites went down yesterday [on VRC Oaks Day], so we’re hoping Tempted is one of them on Saturday.”Race 6: $3m group 1 Champions Sprint (1200m), 3.50pmIn a nutshell: Race favourite Tempted won The Everest last month, beating a rival formerly known as the fastest horse in the world, Ka Ying Rising. Even if the Hong Kong superstar was unlucky that day, it was still some victory by Ciaron Maher’s gun mare. The form from The Everest is the strongest form. Others to run well in that race were Joliestar (third, beaten half a length) and Headwall (fourth). Both are high-class sprinters who can handle the straight. That might be the only chink in Tempted’s armour. She has never raced down the Flemington straight.Champions Sprint tips: 1st Tempted (No.6), 2nd Joliestar (No.7), 3rd Point Barrow (No.11), 4th Headwall (No.3).Russell says: Tempted had a trial down the Flemington straight in the lead-up to Melbourne Cup week and looked like a beast. She will handle the straight.Race 7: $3m group 1 Champions Mile (1600m), 4.30pmIn a nutshell: Racegoers finally get to see the country’s best horse, Autumn Glow, in action this spring after a Sydney campaign. She has easily beaten similar fields in the past. Buckaroo has been running well without being at his best, while Tom Kitten and Lindermann are classy 1600m horses, without being superstars. Outside those four, it is hard to see any other runners having a chance.Champions Mile tips: 1st Autumn Glow (No.8), 2nd Tom Kitten (No.1), 3rd Lindermann (No.2), 4th Buckaroo (No.3)Russell says: So far this spring, we have seen the unthinkable happen – unbackable favourites Ka Ying Rising and Sheza Alibi being beaten after bad luck in running. Champion jockey James McDonald won’t let that happen to Autumn Glow.Race 8: $3m group 1 Champions Stakes (2000m), 5.10pmIn a nutshell: Two Cox Plates in one year, how lucky are we? To explain, the Champions Stakes field involves the big guns that slugged it out for the weight-for-age championship two weeks ago, including the first three placegetters – Cosmic Crusader, Birdman and Aeliana. Less than a length separated all three. Now we get to see what the jockeys and connections have learned. The appearance of UK raider Omni Man throws a spanner in the works. Trained by Joseph O’Brien, he finished third in the Geelong Cup behind eventual Melbourne Cup winner Point Of Law. But he was brought to Australia for the Melbourne Cup, so the 2000m trip might be too short.Champions Stakes tips: 1st Aeliana (No.10), 2nd Cosmic Crusader (No.1), 3rd Birdman (No.5), 4th Omni Man (No.9)Russell says: I’m expecting Aeliana to turn the tables on Cosmic Crusader here only because she has had fewer runs this preparation and should still have some sprint in her legs.Best bets: There could not have been a bigger train wreck on Derby Day than Hankee Alpha (race 4, No.17) being held up in the group 3 Rising Star Stakes. Expect atonement here. The Queen Elizabeth Stakes (race 3) is almost race of the day, expecting Defiantly (No.1), Pinhole (No.4) and King Pedro (No.5) to run the trifecta.Champions Day quaddie: 1st leg: 6, 7. 2nd leg: 8. 3rd leg: 1, 5, 9, 10. 4th leg: 5, 6, 8, 13News, results and expert analysis from the weekend of sport sent every Friday. 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