The outstanding filly Fireburn is making a believer of even her fiercest critics, becoming the first Golden Slipper winner since the champion Pierro in 2012 to add the $1,000,000 Group 1 ATC Inglis Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) at Randwick.
Like in the Golden Slipper, Fireburn stuck solid to the rail under Brenton Avdulla, but still had plenty of work to do to close the six-length gap the free-running She’s Extreme set up at the 300m.
But the daughter of Rebel Dane did it with ease, pulling clear under a cheeky Avdulla to defeat the Extreme Choice filly She’s Extreme by one and a quarter lengths with a further four lengths back to the Dundeel colt Let'srollthedice.
Trained by Gary Portelli, the Laurel Oak Bloodstock colour-bearer made it five wins on the bounce to advance her record to five wins from six starts with earnings of $3,776,250.
“What a filly. She just turns up week after week and she raises the bar,” Portelli said.
“She was set a task in the Slipper and she proved herself. A few people were knocking her before the race today thinking it might have been a one-off thing, but they don’t do that in Slippers and still win.
“All week she has been telling me she has been spot-on and ready to go so I just couldn’t wait for the race.
“She’s got a big motor and these horses come around once in a lifetime. We’ve got the Winx Stand and hopefully one day we put the Fireburn stand beside it.
“Early on, she wasn’t showing enough. She doesn’t show me this at home, she just does this race day. She is a special horse.
“She just knows how to win and she finds a way. She has that acceleration that Rebel Dane had when he was at his best at three, he would set his sights on them and run them down and she does the same.”
Avdulla said he entered the race full of confidence.
“I said to my manager this morning I haven’t had so much confidence going into a Group 1 race. The last time I was that confident was probably Ilovethiscity into the Randwick Guineas and I probably pressed the trigger about a furlong too early and still won,” Avdulla said.
“I didn’t think they could beat her and when Anthony (Cummings - trainer of the second horse She’s Extreme) came out and said he reckons they would’ve won the Slipper the other day with her, that’s why I gave a bit of cheek at the 50m ‘c’mon, come with me’. She’s a superstar.”
A homebred for Laurel Oak and partners, Fireburn is the first foal of the winning So You Think mare Mull Over, purchased by Laurel Oak for $22,000 from the Lime Country draft at the 2018 National Broodmare Sale.
Mull Over is a half-sister to dual Listed stakes-winner Galizani (Galileo).
Mull Over's dam Zahani (Zabeel) is a daughter of the Group 1 Flight Stakes winner Danarani Danehill).
Mull Over has a yearling colt by Hallowed Crown and was covered by Pierata last spring.
Fireburn is from the second crop of dual Group 1 winner Rebel Dane who is looking for a new home, but it’s unlikely that he will have much trouble finding a home in the Hunter Valley this spring.
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