Juvenile summary: Fireball flashes into Slipper contention

Cover image courtesy of Georgia Young Photography

Fireball lives up to expensive price with Millennium victory

With half-a-furlong to go, it was anyone’s win in the R.Listed Inglis Millennium with several horses across the track. Chris Waller-trained colt Fireball (Snitzel) burst to the front to win by just over half a length, and there was only two lengths covering the first six home.

In second was Ciaron Maher-trained filly Ghana’s Akan (Street Boss {USA}) with Ken & Kasey Keys-trained colt Alibaba (Alabama Express) in third. Chris and Corey Munce-trained Star Of Jamaica (Profiteer) led briefly and clung on for fourth.

It was the master trainer’s first victory in the Millennium and adds to his Golden Slipper arsenal. “He will get stronger, and he'll get faster. He's got the frame, he is well bred,” Waller said.

“He hasn't been wound up to get to today. He wasn't even going to run unless he drew a nice barrier. I was more than happy to wait and just bide our time.”

Waller plans to keep Fireball separate from last weekend’s G3 Canonbury Stakes winner Hidrix (Extreme Choice) who heads to the G2 Silver Slipper on the way to the G1 Golden Slipper. “We're starting to work them out, which is good. The Silver Slipper is in two weeks and we're in no rush.

“We got a few colts. We can now sit back and split up a little bit. I think 1200 metres will suit him better, so he’ll head to one of those ones coming up.”

A winner on debut at the end of November, Fireball has two wins from as many starts with earnings of $1.29 million. He was bred by Mr MW O’Keeffe.

Sales: Purchased by James Harron Colt Partnership and Tony Fung Colts for $460,000, Fireball was offered by Yarraman Park Stud at the 2025 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

His yearling half-sister by Dundeel (NZ) is Lot 614 at the upcoming Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

Pedigree: Fireball is the second foal for Advance Party (Charge Forward) whose 3-year-old gelding has recently been named Eight Aces (I Am Invincible). Advance Party was a winner as a July 2-year-old, adding a second win at three.

Advance Party is out of unraced Redoute’s Choice mare Luanne who is a half-sister to juvenile Listed Ken Russell Memorial Classic winner I Have No Fear (Rock Of Gibraltar {Ire}). Fireball’s third dam is the very good juvenile filly Countess Christie (Marscay) who won the G2 Magic Night Stakes, G3 Sweet Embrace Stakes, and Listed Widden Stakes at two. G1 Diamond Stakes (now Sistema Stakes)-placed O’Rachael (Northern Meteor) also features in this family.

Streisand breaks maiden in G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (f)

Streisand (Magnus) immediately drew comparisons to G1 Blue Diamond winner Hayasugi (Royal Meeting {Ire}) who won the 2024 edition for trainer Clinton McDonald and Jamie Melham. The pair combined against on Saturday with Streisand who made the G2 Blue Diamond Prelude (f) her maiden victory with a three-quarter length victory over Annabel and Rob Archibald-trained debutant Chayan (I Am Invincible). Mark Walker-trained I Am Aria (I Am Invincible) was third.

Clinton McDonald has obviously always had a big opinion of Streisand as all her four starts have been in stakes company, and on Saturday she turned that opinion into fact with a black type victory.

“She’s a push button horse and you need that with a 2-year-old. She reminds me of Hayasugi in that way. She reminds me of Hayasugi. You can ask her to do anything and be anywhere in the race,” said jockey Jamie Melham.

Second to Eurocanto (Per Incanto {USA}) on debut in the Listed Maribyrnong Trial Stakes, she was again second in the R.Listed Inglis Banner Stakes to Calamari Ring (Street Boss {USA}). Fifth at her third start in the G3 Blue Diamond Preview (f), she’s made it a victory here.

“She’s done all the work. She was there for the first 2-year-old race and got beaten a short-half-head and she was there for the spring carnival. She’s done all the hard yards. She’s seasoned whereas a lot of these other horses are still learning their craft,” McDonald said.

“Our plan all the way along was to have her ready to go. We bought her to be a 2-year-old and well done to Inglis for producing another nice horse. She’ll go a long way in the Diamond. I think she’s got the right mental aptitude for it and the toughness. I’ve said all the way along she’s a bit like Hayasugi – understated, tough. Hopefully she does one better.”

Hayasugi flopped in the G1 Golden Slipper after her Blue Diamond victory but returned at three to run second in the G1 AJ Moir Stakes before sadly dying of a foot injury.

Sales: Originally sold by Yarran Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Great Southern Sale for $22,000 to Northmore and Waterford, she was pinhooked by Northmore Thoroughbreds at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale. Shane McGrath Bloodstock and Clinton McDonald put their hand up at $100,000 to secure Streisand.

Her half-sister by Star Witness will be offered at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale as Lot 458.

Pedigree: Stakes winner number 33 for Magnus, she also becomes the fourth stakes winner for Zoustar as a broodmare sire. Streisand is the third foal of winning mare Zouper Star (Zoustar) who has the aforementioned yearling, and had a colt by Nicconi in 2025.

Zouper Star is a half-sister to Listed winner Best Yet To Come (Econsul {NZ}) and stakes placed Simply Put (Charge Forward).

Closer To Free gives immediate ROI

Only two days ago it was reported that trainer Danny O’Brien and owner Sean Buckley had splashed out on impressive trial winning 2-year-old colt Closer To Free (Street Boss {USA}). On Saturday, they received immediate dividends when he debuted in the G3 Blue Diamond Prelude (c&g) and stormed home to win by a length.

Ridden by Michael Dee from barrier seven in the eight horse field, Closer To Free rounded the turn in front and stayed with last start winner and favourite Guest House (Home Affairs) chasing hard alongside third placed Eternal Warrior (Extreme Warrior).

“He actually gave me a similar feel to what Devil Night did last year. Very similar horse. Same colour, very stocky and built similar. Devil Night ran second and we were able to win here today,” said Dee. Devil Night (Extreme Choice) won last year’s G1 Blue Diamond Stakes at his next start after his debut second in this race last year.

Guest House, for the Mick Price and Michael Kent Jnr stable, put his nose in front of Lloyd Kennewell-trained Listed Merson Cooper Stakes winner Eternal Warrior in a good battle, but the winner made it look easy in front.

“I saw him in the mounting yard before the trial because I had one in it and Adrian (Corboy) is one of the best, if not the best, breakers and he does all of our yearlings. I asked him what he was doing down here and he said he was trialling this one with the potential to sell him,” O’Brien said post-race about buying Closer To Free nine days ago.

“Before the horse left the mounting yard after the trial, I walked back with him and saw how easily he’d taken it. As Adrian was hosing the horse down, I bought him. He’s a beautiful colt and he’s got a proper pedigree. With Street Boss, and his first three dams were all 2-year-old stakes winners, so there is plenty to like about him.

“I thought he maybe looks a bit burly and might need the run which is good for two weeks’ time. He has an amazing nature. He’s a very relaxed, sensible colt and always travels comfortably. I think he’s well above average.”

Closer To Free becomes the 88th stakes winner for Street Boss (USA).

Sales: Milburn Creek sold Closer To Free at the 2025 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale for $60,000 to Polaris Bloodstock. His yearling half-brother by Justify (USA) sold for the same sum at the Inglis Sydney Weanling Sale of 2025, bought by Trilogy Racing and Suman Hedge Bloodstock (FBAA).

Pedigree: As noted by O’Brien, Closer To Free’s first three dams are all stakes winners. He is the third foal of Listed Cinderella Stakes winner Lady Naturalist (Choisir), whose 3-year-old gelding has been named Liquidator (Zoustar). Lady Naturalist is a half-sister to Listed Debutant Stakes winner Tanker (Pride Of Dubai).

Lady Naturalist is out of Listed Dequettville Stakes winner Calcutta (Tale Of The Cat {USA}), who in turn is out of dual Listed winner Calchris (Commands) who, unlike her juvenile winning daughter and granddaughter, won her stakes races at four.

Liwa’s daughter thrills on debut in Lonhro Plate

Renowned juvenile trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott are building a strong tilt at this year’s G1 Golden Slipper and they showcased a pair of runners in Saturday’s Listed Lonhro Plate. It was their less favoured runner Agrarian Girl (Tassort) who was the toughest down the straight to win by half-a-length from Ciaron Maher-trained Spicy Miss (Trapeze Artist).

Rod Northam-trained Savage Look (Wild Ruler) was third, and the winner’s stablemate Lady Moscato (Home Affairs) was fourth.

“She has just thrived. She has done nothing wrong in her trials and she has been very well educated all the way through,” Bott said. Agrarian Girl was ridden by Winona Costin and she is owned by Horseshoe Investments and partners.

“Maybe she has looked a little bit under pressure in her trials, but she has still been learning and developing and she responded in those and that's exactly what she did today. She looked in a bit of trouble at the furlong, but she really lifted and won quite easily on the line in the end.”

The 2-year-old filly will be put on the pathway to the G1 Golden Slipper with Bott answering the question affirmatively. “I think we have to. Whether that's through a Silver Slipper or we trial into a race like the Reisling, she has certainly got to be in contention with that tenacity she showed today. I'm sure there is some really nice improvement to come.”

Sales: Purchased by her trainers and Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $280,000 at the Inglis Premier Yearling Sale, Agrarian Girl was offered by Emirates Park.

Pedigree: Agrarian Girl is the first foal of dual Listed winner Liwa (Mulaazem) who is a half-sister to former boom juvenile and G3 Chairman’s Stakes winner Coleman (Pierata) who was second in the G1 Golden Slipper won by Lady Of Camelot (Written Tycoon). Sadly, Liwa’s 2024 foal by Extreme Choice was stillborn, however, she had a filly in 2025 by Harry Angel (Ire).

Liwa’s dam Sboog (Redoute’s Choice) is a half-sister to Group 2 winner and successful sire Rothesay, from the family of Group 1 winners Canny Lass (Bletchingly) and Canny Lad.

Esperanza shows brilliance on debut

A brilliant victory on debut by 2-year-old filly Esperanza (Spirit Of Boom) for Eureka Stud and trainer Rex Lipp have them dreaming of the QTIS The Jewel worth $500,000 next month. The filly had to do it tough from out wide on the bend, but put in gamely to keep accelerating to the line and win by half-a-length. In second was Stephen McLean-trained colt Harry’s Back (Bivouac) with Liam Birchley-trained gelding On The Clock (Spirit Of Boom) in third.

Bred and owned by Eureka Stud, Peter Maloney, and Rex Lipp, the filly is by Eureka Stud’s Spirit Of Boom who sits inside the top ten on the Australian Champion Sire of 2YOs table for this season. “If we can get her to the Jewel we will, we might not even start her again between now and then,” Lipp said.

“She is a very good filly. I told Emily Lang before the race that this filly is definitely not like her brother (Simply Fly) who could be a bit wayward. We have been gradually taking this filly along. She is a big, strong filly and not like a lot of the Spirit Of Booms.”

Sales: A homebred for her racing owners.

Pedigree: A full sister to Listed Chief De Beers Handicap winner Simply Fly, who also won the QTIS 3YO Jewel among his nine victories, Esperanza is one of seven winners for G2 Queensland Guineas winner Express Air (Piccolo {GB}).

Express Air’s half-sister Dazzling Display (Red Dazzler) is the dam of Spirit Of Boom’s dual Group 2 winner Prince Of Boom who has earnings over $1.3 million. This is also the family of New Zealand based sire Ardrossan and his triple Group 1 winning half-brother Incentivize (Shamus Award).