Zac Purton will be back in Sydney for the $10 million Golden Eagle, with Chris Waller booking the Hong Kong champion to ride Autumn Boy in a fresh clash with Sheza Alibi at Royal Randwick on Saturday 31 October.
Waller confirmed the booking to News Corp on Tuesday morning, Racenet reported, with Autumn Boy’s regular rider James McDonald set to be in Melbourne for Derby Day.
“We can confirm that Zac Purton is booked for the ride – it’s terrific to get someone of Zac’s class booked for such an important race,” Waller said.
Golden Eagle over the Cox Plate
Waller had been weighing up a Cox Plate start for Autumn Boy before settling on the Group 1 Golden Eagle (1500m), a race restricted to four-year-olds.
Read more: Cox Plate 2026 Likely Field: Ceolwulf Confirmed for Flemington
The decision sets up another meeting with Sheza Alibi. The pair have clashed four times, according to Racenet. Autumn Boy won the first during last year’s Brisbane winter carnival, but Sheza Alibi has won the last three, all at Group 1 level, in the Randwick Guineas, the Doncaster Mile and the Makybe Diva Stakes.
Racenet reported that Sheza Alibi is the $1.80 favourite for the Golden Eagle, with Autumn Boy at $8.
Purton returns after Everest near miss
Read more: 2026 Everest Review: What The Jockeys Said
The ride brings Purton straight back to Randwick after Ka Ying Rising’s narrow defeat by Tempted in The Everest last Saturday.
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- Cox Plate 2026 Likely Field: Ceolwulf Confirmed for Flemington
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