Highlighted as a Breednet ‘One To Watch’ earlier this year when breaking her maiden, Ciaron Maher’s lightly raced Bivouac filly Fireball Miss improved from her last start third in the Listed Gold Coast Bracelet (1800m) to capture the $300,000 G2 BRC The Roses (2000m) in style.
From barrier six in the field of 14, jockey Declan Bates took Fireball Miss forward where she was in fourth position as the field passed the winning post on the first occasion, with New Zealand-bred filly Single Red (NZ) going to the lead.
The Chris Waller trained race favourite Chispa (NZ), a last start winner on the Kensington track, wasn’t getting much early luck, settling with about five behind her in the run.
In a slowly run race, the second favourite Single Red was getting all the favours in the lead and as the field approached the home turn, the runs were starting to come as the fillies were in need of making up the necessary ground.
It was a line of four rounding the home turn and as Single Red drifted back towards the inside, Bates took the opportunity to duck back to her inside to make his run closer to the rail.
While Chispa was making up many lengths down the outside under James McDonald, the favourite ran out of room as Fireball Miss scored by a length and a quarter.
Fresh from success of Friday night with The Next Episode in the $1m Magic Millions National 2YO Classic, trainer Ciaron Maher is looking forward to the Oaks with his filly.
“Yeah, this filly, she's thrived since coming up here to Queensland,” said Maher. “She stays at Tony Gollan's yard and I can't thank him and his team enough."
“She's just thrived here. So it's, yeah, it's fantastic, she's in really good order. She's improved every run. It was a beautiful ride by Dec.
“She'll go on to the Oaks now and she'll be a very good chance.
“I love coming up here to Queensland. It's fantastic and great to have another Group 1 chance."
Having been ridden last time out by Bates, the jockey was glad to be back aboard.
“When she began a lot cleaner today, I was happy just to roll up and probably wasn't going to be that close, but Mark wanted the hole one off the fence beside me, which probably forced me to keep going."
“But the way it ended up being run, it was probably ideal really because it was a bit of a muddly old race, and I was well positioned, but when the three-wide line came around me I thought it could end up tricky, but there was a lot of runs coming and that injected the pace into it early enough.
“I was able to get plenty of room and we needed it, and she was, she was really good.
“I was reluctant to go too early, and I sort of thought, well I'll just stay here, and you know if it doesn't work hopefully I'll be forgiven - but it did work out.”
With two wins and a third placed effort from just six starts, the G1 Queensland Oaks bound Fireball Miss took her overall prizemoney haul to $259,400, not a bad return to date of the $140,000 Bennet Racing parted ways with to secure her from Vinery Stud’s draft at the Inglis Easter yearling sale.
If successful in claiming the Oaks, Fireball Miss will become just the fourth filly to do complete the double after Youngtsar (2018), Scarlett Lady (NZ) (2011) and Ethereal (NZ) (2001).
Bred by Aralet Pty Ltd, it’s of no surprise to see the filly win like this when you take a look at her pedigree, as she's a half-sister to last season’s G1 SAJC South Australian Derby (2500m) winner Femminile (Dundeel), both being out of the stakes placed Pierro mare Femme Fireball.
Femme Fireball’s current 2yo is the unraced Gary Portelli trained Fiamina with the daughter of Darley’s Piunatubo (IRE) purchased by Laurel Oak Bloodstock at the Magic Millions yearling sale for $260,000.
Interestingly, both Femminile and her dam were sold at last year’s Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale with Yulong securing the G1 winner for $1.5m, while Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) and Paul Willetts Bloodstock secured Femme Fireball in foal to Anamoe for $900,000.
Fireball Miss became the fifth stakes winner for Darley’s triple G1-winning Exceed And Excel stallion Bivouac who is set to stand for a fee of $33,000 (inc. GST).
