The 1999 Autumn Carnival in Australia ran from late January to mid April. The stars were Tie The Knot and Intergaze among the older horses, and Dignity Dancer, Sunline, Grand Archway and Sky Heights amongst the three year olds.

The big disappointment was undoubtedly Might and Power. The reigning Horse of the Year had his return to racing delayed, as connections opted for a longer spell and to concentrate on the Brisbane Winter Carnival. However Might and Power never made it to the races, as he bowed a tendon in late March. His racing future is now in doubt.

Tie the Knot

Tie The Knot (Nassipour - Whisked) put in an almost faultless display in the autumn, where he campaigned entirely in Sydney. He won three Group 1 events, including the Chipping Norton Stakes (WFA - 1600m), the Mercedes Classic (WFA - 2400m), and created history by becoming only the second horse this century to win back to back Sydney Cups with an authoritative 5 lengths victory in that race as topweight (3200m). He was unlucky not to have won a 4th Group 1, as he lost the WFA Ranvet Stakes (2000m) on protest to the imported Sadler's Wells horse Darazari.

Intergaze (Integra - Tempergaze) completed his autumn in triumph. After running second in both the Group 1 Australian Cup and the G1 Mercedes Classic (to Tie The Knot), he broke through for his 4th and 5th wins at the highest level with games wins in the All-Aged Stakes (1600m) and the Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m), both at WFA. In doing so, Intergaze became only the second horse to win the latter race twice, having defeated Octagonal in 1997 when a three 3 year old.

Dignity Dancer

The three year honours were fairly equally divided. Dignity Dancer (Zabeel - Love That Style) was dominant in the early autumn races in Melbourne, winning four races in a row, culminating in the Group 1 Australian Guineas over 2000m. He then travelled to Sydney, but appeared to have trained off, and was beaten by Sky Heights (Zabeel - Moet Heights), in his next 2 starts. Sky Heights defeated Dignity Dancer in the Group 1 Rosehill Guineas (2000m) by a short head, and then confirmed the form with a solid win in the Group 1 AJC Australian Derby (2400m). The tough Danehill colt Arena, who had won the Group 1 Victoria Derby in the Spring, deserves a mention. He scored in the Group 1 Canterbury Guineas, before running 3rd (to Sky Heights) in the Rosehill Guineas, 3rd (to Tie The Knot) in the Mercedes Classic, 2nd (to Sky Heights) in the AJC Australian Derby, and 5th (to Tie The Knot) in the Sydney Cup, over 4 successive Saturdays.

Sky Heights

Of the fairer sex, the two best fillies to race in Australia were undoubtedly Grand Archway and Sunline. Grand Archway (Archway - Mean Eyes) followed her Group 1 VRC Oaks (2500m) victory in the Spring with successive WFA wins, at Group 1 level against the older horses, in the Australian Stakes (1200m) and the CF Orr Stakes (1400m), both at WFA. She suffered a setback when injured during her next race, bounced back to run second to the flying filly Sunline at Moonee Valley, then ran 3rd to the colts in the Australian Derby, and backed up a week later to complete the Oaks double when she scored a strong win in the AJC Australian Oaks. She will now campaign in Adelaide, and will attempt to add to her already impressive record in the upcoming carnival there.

Sunline

The New Zealand filly Sunline (Desert Sun - Songline) won three races in Australia this autumn. She defeated Grand Archway by a whopping 5 lengths in the Moonee Valley Oaks (2040m), then met and defeated the older horses in the Group 1 Doncaster Handicap (1600m) in her first attempt at open company. She carried WFA, and led all the way, winning brilliantly by 2 lengths. She remained in training for the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes, but as favourite pulled up distressed when unplaced behind Intergaze. She has gone for a well deserved spell.

The two year olds were fairly even. Catbird (Danehill - Fitting) won the Golden Slipper in fine style, but the race was marred by the late withdrawal of the raging favourite, the winner of the Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes at only his second start, Redoute's Choice (Danehill - Shantha's Choice), who came down with travel sickness on the day of the race. Other well performed two year olds were Shogun Lodge (Grand Lodge - Pride of Tahnee), Align and Quick Score.

Bronwen Healy is one of Australia's leading horse racing photographers. Bronwen lives in Canberra, the National Capital, and has been photographing the major Australian Carnivals since 1993, concentrating on the major races in Melbourne and Sydney. She photographs on a part-time professional basis, and her photography sees her travelling for significant portions of the year. She covers almost all feature Australian races in Sydney and Melbourne, including the Melbourne and Caulfield Cups, the Cox Plate, Golden Slipper, AJC and VRC Derbies, and many more. Her library includes some of the best horses to have raced in Australia during the past 6 years, such as Might and Power, Octagonal, Saintly, Mahogany, Sunline, Doriemus and Vintage Crop. Bronwen is a keen rider and horse owner, and has been riding since she was 6. She has followed horse racing all her life. You can visit Bronwen's web site here or contact her at bronnie@ausracing.net.au or click here Bronwen with Octagonal and his trainer John Hawkes