Prairie Fire will carry the colours of Sun Stud in next weeks $1,500,000 Blue Diamond after the son of Snitzel came with a barnstorming finish to claim Saturday's Listed The Asian Executive (Talindert) Stakes (1100m) at Flemington.
The Mick Price-trained youngster had just one of the 10 runners behind him halfway down the straight. When Mark Zahra released the brakes, Prairie Fire picked off runner after runner with only the promising Epaulette filly Khulaasa offering any resistance.
Prairie Fire defeated Khulaasa by a length with Invincible Lad (I AM Invincible) three and three-quarter length back in third. (photo Grant Courtney).
Winning trainer Mick Price said Prairie Fire had improved off his debut third at Caulfield on February 3 but was not overly enthused about his winning chance.
"He raced like a professional whereas the other day he raced liked he had no idea," Price said.
"He has galloped reasonably but that was a surprise today. I suppose that is the benefit of one run from a sleepy colt, plus the blinkers and experience.
"I spoke to Sun Stud before today and they definitely want to run him in the Blue Diamond, which is why they ran him here. He only had to run in the first three, have a soft week and they will have a runner in the Blue Diamond and good luck to them."
The most expensive yearling in the race, Prairie Fire was a $625,000 purchase by Sun Stud out of the Rosemont Stud draft at the 2017 Premier Yearling Sale.
That made him the second most expensive lot of the sale, behind only the $1.4 million paid by Ciaron Maher for an I Am Invincible colt.
Bred by Palya Bloodstock, Prairie Fire is the second foal of the unraced All Bar One mare Consistency who is a half-sister to the top-class Nina Haraka a Group III winner and multiple Group 1 placed daughter of
Nina Haraka is a sister to Monte Rosa the dam of Group 1 VRC Lightning Stakes winner Snitzerland as well as the young Kitchwin Hills stallion Sooboog who are both by Prairie Fire's sire Snitzel.
Purchased by Palya Bloodstock for $70,000 at the 2013 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale, Consistency foaled a So You Think filly in December and was bred back to Redoute's Choice.
Prairie Fire becomes the 79th stakes winner for Arrowfield Stud's reigning champion sire Snitzel.
