Saturday summary: Fireball Miss lights up Eagle Farm in Oaks victory

Cover image courtesy of Racing Queensland

Fireball Miss sets track alight in Oaks victory

Darley’s Bivouac chalked up his second Group 1 winner on Saturday when red hot daughter Fireball Miss claimed the G1 Queensland Oaks from the favourite Panova (Trapeze Artist). The last start winner of the G2 Doomben Roses had to do her work out wide but once Declan Bates gave her the kick, the Bennett Racing-owned filly was away, streaking past stablemate Paltrow Miss (NZ) (Circus Maximus {Ire}) with Panova giving chase.

But the margin to Fireball Miss was too great for Panova to shorten it more than a length and a third, with Paltrow Miss a further three quarters of a length behind her in third.

"It's a super result,” said trainer Ciaron Maher, who has now won three of the last four editions of the race. “The Bennett Racing team pick really nice horses, they've got a great record and I'm thrilled to train for them. This filly has really thrived up here at Tony (Gollan) and Cav's place, so I can't thank them enough. It was a brilliant ride by Dec, we were very confident today and she's got the job done."

"Ciaron took the decision early to get her up here to Tony's place,” Declan Bates said. “He just thought that she wasn't doing that well down south, and she's just thrived since she got up here. He did the same thing with Paltrow Miss, who has done a super job to run third. He sent her up to our stable on the Gold Coast about four weeks ago, and she's also really enjoyed the Queensland sun.

“It's a great result for Phil Wells and Nathan Bennett, they just pick the right horses and they've got an unbelievable strike rate. So congratulations to the whole team."

"Year in, year out, if you target a race like this with a filly like this, you can get the right result,” Ciaron Maher continued. “We had the option of going to Adelaide, but we thought we'd put her on ice and bring her up here. She can see how well she looks, and I think she's a filly for the future. She had a pretty sweet run and you can see what a beautiful action she's got. When she matures fully she's going to be a nice mare."

The victory takes Bivouac back to the top of the second season sire table - which has been a close-fought competition between Farnan, Wootton Bassett (GB), Ghaiyyath (Ire), and him.

Sales: Fireball Miss was purchased for $140,000 by Bennett Racing from the Vinery Stud draft at the 2024 Inglis Easter Yearling Sale.

Pedigree: Fireball Miss is out of the seven-time winner and Listed-placed Femme Fireball (Pierro). Alongside Fireball Miss, she has had only one other runner - the G1 South Australian Derby winner Femminile (Dundeel {NZ}), so she has now achieved the remarkable feat of producing two runners for two Group 1 winners. A $1.5 million Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale purchase last year for Yulong, Femminile visited Lucky Vega (Ire) for her maiden season.

Femme Fireball is a full sister to the dual Group 3 winner and Group 1-placed Rock (Pierro). She was sold at Magic Millions last year for $900,000 to Boomer Bloodstock (FBAA) and Paul Willetts Bloodstock, and is now with Three Bridges Thoroughbreds.

Femme Fireball has a yearling filly by So You Think (NZ) and a weanling filly by Anamoe to come, the latter of which was withdrawn from the recent Magic Millions Gold Coast National Weanling Sale.

Uncommon James breaks drought in Moreton Cup

It’s been a long time between drinks for Uncommon James (Cable Bay {Ire}) - three years in fact - but the 7-year-old rose to the occasion on Saturday in the G2 Moreton Cup, rewarding the antepost betting plunge that saw him jump as the favourite.

Luckless when sixth in the G1 Doomben 10,000 last start, Matthew Hoystead’s gelding held off Oak Hill (NZ) (Per Incanto {USA}) by a neck to clinch victory in the last race of the day, with Manaal (Tassort) fighting her way through to finish third.

"I'll try not to get too emotional, this horse obviously means the world to our family," Hoysted said. "It's been more than three years now since he last won (in the G1 Oakleigh Plate) and it helped today that he didn't have to carry his Group 1 penalty.

"Credit to Ben (Thompson), it was a great ride. It looked tough when the barrier draw came out, but thankfully it worked out well for us today."

"He's been such a good horse for such a long time, he's very special to all of us," Thompson said. "He's had his setbacks since he won the Oakleigh Plate which is why he's been lightly raced for the last two years.

"But we knew the horse was going great. He had the track to suit and a race that was run to suit today, so it worked out perfectly. He owes us nothing, I'll always have a soft spot for him and I'll be forever in debt to him."

The gelding will not back up into next week’s G1 Stradbroke Handicap, despite the Cup win coming with a ballot-free spot at the start.

Sales: Uncommon James is a homebred for Lavin Park Racing & Breeding.

Pedigree: Uncommon James is the best performed foal of five-time winner and Listed-performed Pickabee (Jet Spur), a full sister to Listed Gucci Stakes winner Emmalene, who has produced the Listed winners King Kapa (Capitalist) and The Crimson Pirate (Trapeze Artist). Grandam Adagietto (NZ) (Sackford {USA}) was also a stakes winner.

Wanaruah’s Bob Charley redemption

Four-year-old Snitzel entire Wanaruah showed plenty of promise as a younger horse, winning both of his juvenile starts before placing twice at Group 3 level in the spring of his 3-year-old year, but he’s needed some help getting back in his groove.

Moved to the stables of Brett and Georgie Cavanough, he has bounced back into form and made it two on the trot with his Listed Bob Charley AO Stakes victory on Saturday at Randwick.

The entire hit the front before the turn for home and held on tight to his lead. Despite an attack from Imperial Force (Snitzel) on the rail as they straightened, Wanaruah kept digging deep and eventually fended off a late rush from General Salute (Russian Revolution) to win by two thirds of a length, with Brudenell (Russian Revolution) in third.

"It has been a great last month," said Brett Cavanough, hinting on a possible expansion of the stable - which already has boxes at Scone and Ballina - in the coming weeks. "There is a bit of news to come out of the camp, hopefully, in the next four to six weeks. There is a bit of movement.

"But we'll worry about that when we get there. In the meantime, we'll just keep doing our job."

Cavanough was pleased with the entire's consistency since arriving from the care of Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.

"We have never looked back," he said. He has done the job since he's come to my place, hasn't let me down. He's got super form when Gai and Adrian had him, obviously the Autumn Glow form and his Guineas Prelude, he could be a really good horse.

"I'm just taking it one step at a time with him. There are some pretty exciting spring races coming up, so we won't overtax him, we will get him home, regroup and work out where we go."

Sales: Wanaruah was offered by breeder Fernrigg Farm at the Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, and has been retained to race in their colours after passing in.

Pedigree: Wanaruah is the best of three winners for Mella Maria (Star Witness), a Group 2 winner and multiple Group performer in South Africa. Close up in the family are Listed-winning Vinland (Sebring) and Miss Icelandic (Deep Field), and R. Listed Inglis 2YO Premier winner Valliano (Equiano {Fr}).

Mella Maria delivered a colt by Shinzo in the spring before visiting Wild Ruler.

Monte reigns Supreme in Lightning

Monte Supreme (I Am Invincible) has proven all preparation that she is just inches off of a stakes win, and the 5-year-old mare scored at last in Eagle Farm’s Listed Lightning Handicap on Saturday for Bjorn Baker.

Local hero Steady Ready (Better Than Ready) was the clear leader as the pack straightened, but Baker’s mare dug deep to pass him on the inside and claim victory by half a length.

"She's a lovely mare by I Am Invincible, so that's a very important stakes win for her,” said Jim Clarke, representing the Baker stable. “The Bates family have sent Bjorn some lovely horses to train, and she's a very impressive type.”

Fourth in the Listed Ortensia Stakes at Scone at her last start, the mare benefitted from the application of blinkers for Saturday’s run, bringing her sharply into contention.

"She tends to get back in her runs, the blinkers went on, and before the race Rachel (King) was pretty confident the horse would be right in the mix,” Clarke said. “Sticking to the fence was a pretty daring tactic, but it proved that the track is playing very fairly."

"I didn't have a lot of choice but to stick to the fence," said King. "I did walk the track before the races and I thought it felt pretty even right the way across. They've pushed the rail out so there's some fresh ground and she really relished it."

The win kicked off a double for Baker and King, who also steered War Eternal (NZ) (Pierro) to victory in the Listed Spear Chief Handicap later on the card. It alos made Monte Supreme the 127th stakes winner for her sire.

Sales: Monte Supreme was a $800,000 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale purchase for Roughwood Park from the draft of Yarraman Park Stud.

Pedigree: A full sister to G3 Winx Guineas winner The Three Hundred (I Am Invincible), Monte Supreme is the second stakes winner produced by Listed-winning Sassy ‘N’ Smart (Smart Missile), who was also runner-up in the G2 Matamata Breeders’ Stakes.

Sassy ‘N’ Smart is a half-sister to G3 Widden Stakes winner Mallory (Not A Single Doubt) out of a daughter of G1 Prix De Diane winner Nebraska Tornado (USA) (Storm Cat {USA}), from the family of Irish Champion 3YO Westover (GB) (Frankel {GB}).

Gao Sanxiong paid $170,000 at the Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale for a Home Affairs three-quarter-brother to Monte Supreme earlier this year. Sassy ‘N’ Smart visited Ole Kirk in the spring.

Treble for King as War Eternal claims Spear Chief

Bjorn Baker’s warrior War Eternal (NZ) broke through the $1 million earnings barrier in the Listed Spear Chief Handicap at Eagle Farm on Saturday, cementing a treble for jockey Rachel King. The 7-year-old did battle with eventual runner-up Sun God (GB) (Fastnet Rock) as they entered the final furlong, the latter making a break from the pack, but War Eternal proved too tenacious, winning by a neck.

"He's so tough and genuine,” King said. “He always tries his hardest and even though we drew a little bit tricky today, we ended up in a beautiful spot. He came back underneath me and he's very professional in everything he does. I loved the way he toughed it out."

“He's a beautiful horse and he's been a bit of a stable stalwart for a while now,” Jim Clarke said on behalf of the Baker stable. He's got a few years in his legs now, and I think he's ticked over $1 million. So he's an absolute ripper."

Earlier in the day, King opened the card with victory on Cavalry Man (So You Think {NZ}) and Lindsay Gough and partnered Monte Supreme to win the Lightning for Baker.

"Rachel's having a day out,” Clarke said. “She's in fantastic form and she's a world-class rider, so hopefully she can keep it going."

Sales: Offered by Cambridge Stud at the 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale, War Eternal was a NZ$160,000 purchase for Bjorn Baker Racing and Clarke Bloodstock (FBAA).

Pedigree: War Eternal is the first foal out of Aleria (Fastnet Rock), a daughter of dual Listed winner Impressive Eagle (Rubiton) and a full sister to Group-performed Thorondor. Impressive Eagle is a half-sister to three stakes winners, including G1 Queensland Derby winner Eagle Way (More Than Ready {USA}) and Listed-winning Soaressa (Twining {USA}), herself the dam of five-time stakes winner Thermal Current (Exceed And Excel) and his full sister Listed-winning Forever Free.

This is also the immediate family of G3 Black Opal Stakes winner Kalashnikov (Capitalist) and dual stakes winner Eagle Nest (Shalaa {Ire}), a $1 million Inglis Chairman’s Sale purchase for Katsumi Yoshida last year.

Aleria has a filly on the ground by Almanzor (Fr) and was served by Chaldean (GB) in the spring.