Although the celebrated Autum Glow will not be returning to defend her Epsom Handicap title, the path for last year’s runner-up, Fully Lit, to go one better is not without its challenges.
This year’s renewal of the feature mile has attracted a robust field, headlined by the accomplished multiple Group 1 winner Ceolwulf, the undefeated New Zealander Well Written, and Autumn Boy, a talented stablemate of Autum Glow trained by Chris Waller.
Fully Lit’s co-trainer, Adrian Bott, views Saturday’s Epsom Handicap as one of the most competitive in recent years, identifying Autumn Boy as the primary contender.
“He looks the obvious horse,” Bott commented on Autumn Boy. “He’s coming through the right races, weight-for-age races, and he’s obviously a very talented horse as well. But it is a race with plenty of depth, and there’s more than just one chance in the race.”
The preparation for Fully Lit leading into this Group 1 race this spring has been more focused, and Bott believes the horse is in superior form compared to the previous year.
This improvement seems evident on the track, with Fully Lit achieving a third-place finish in the Cameron Handicap (1400m) last year and winning the same event this time around.
Significantly, Fully Lit had a demanding campaign leading into the 2025 Epsom Handicap, but will be fourth-up in the race on Saturday.
“I feel he’s had a much better lead-up and much better, targeted preparation,” Bott stated. “He was ninth-up in the Epsom last year, so it’s a little bit more strategic this time around. He’d had a long-term spell prior to that last campaign, and he’s a horse that does so well it took him quite a while to reach his peak fitness, and (he struck) a few heavy tracks which he didn’t enjoy. This time around, it gives us a bit of confidence that the deeper we get into the campaign, the stronger we’re going to see him. He’s been very effective over this mile and still gets in very well at the weights.”
Fully Lit has recorded runner-up finishes in both of his previous starts over the 1600m distance, both at Randwick.
Last year he commenced from barrier seven, and this weekend he will jump from gate eight, with Winona Costin, who rode him in the Epsom 12 months ago, again in the saddle.
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