Unbeaten Easter colt Fireball (Snitzel) surged into equal third favourite for the G1 Golden Slipper with a powerful victory in the $2m Inglis Millennium at Randwick, while Profitabelle picked up the lucrative Pink Bonus and fairytale $1250 purchase Where's the Circus was given Best Turned Out.
At just his second career start, the Chris Waller-trained Fireball settled midfield for champion jockey James McDonald, who weaved the 2YO into clear running midway down the home straight and fought off all challengers.
Fireball defeated Premier Sale graduate Ghana’s Akan (Street Boss) for Ciaron Maher, with Classic Sale graduate Alibaba (Alabama Express) for Ken and Kasey Keys in third.
The James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership teamed up with Tony Fung Colts to purchase Fireball for $460,000 at last year’s Easter Yearling Sale, from the Yarraman Park Stud draft.
Bred by Michael O’Keeffe, Fireball has now won both his career starts and earned $1,290,000 in prizemoney to date.
He also firmed into $13 with Ladbrokes for the G1 Golden Slipper, to be run at Rosehill on March 21.
Harron described today’s performance as “incredible’’.
“It’s such a great day, a big event and to take the Millennium out for the first time is very special,’’ Harron said.
“The Inglis Race Series is a wonderful bonus system for owners who put a lot of money into the game, invest over a long period of time so this means a lot.
“It’s a wonderful bonus for everybody but it’s also been a great graduate race the Millennium, we’ve seen really good horses come out of it because it’s well positioned in the year, it’s at the business end of the year leading into the Slipper and it fitted into this horse’s program perfectly.
“The win is super special, it’s our first year with TFI, we all love this horse, we’ve had a great relationship with them and we’ve moved into the second year with them this year and we’re off to a fantastic start.’’
Harron has fond memories of Fireball at last year’s Easter Sale.
“This colt has a beautiful pedigree, physique and demeanour and the sky’s the limit for him,’’ Harron said.
“We’re not just trying to buy expensive horses, we’re trying to buy horses that fit our criteria and to get him for $460,000, being by Snitzel, we were pinching ourselves afterwards.
“We rated him very highly, both ourselves and TFI and the whole team.’’
Yarraman Park will offer Fireball’s Dundeel half sister (ex Advance Party) as lot 614 at the upcoming Classic Yearling Sale, which begins at 10am tomorrow at Riverside.
To view the Classic catalogue CLICK HERE.
Winning trainer Waller – who also trained Easter Yearling Sale colt Hidrix to victory in last weekend’s G3 Canonbury Stakes at Rosehill - added: “[Fireball] got there without being pushed to be here, that’s what I was happiest about. He’s going to get bigger and stronger and better and he might get faster too.
“We’re starting to work all the colts out. There’s some more sales coming up from tomorrow [Inglis Classic] and we’re looking forward to buying a few more.’’
Interestingly, Fireball’s dam Advance Party sold to Bruce Slade and the Gatt family for $100,000 - in foal to In The Congo, carrying a three-quarter sibling to Fireball – at last year’s Australian Broodmare Sale at Riverside.
The other big winners in today’s Millennium were the owners of Profitabelle, who won their share of the $400,000 Inglis Pink Bonus.
“It’s wonderful, we’re very pleased to be here supporting female ownership in racing,’’ Profitabelle’s part owner Angela Weber said.
“It’s a fantastic series and we’re thrilled, even though we didn’t win the race we feel like we’ve come away with a win.’’
Fairytale galloper Where’s The Circus – the $1250 Inglis Digital bargain buy – was unable to win the Millennium but was crowned the Best Turned Out winner for being the ‘pick of the yard’ pre-race.
As a result, Where’s The Circus’ strapper Michelle Ritchie won $1000.
Today’s Best Turned Out award was judged by Inglis director Jamie Inglis.
Today’s victory by Fireball sees Waller climb into second place in the Theault Trainers’ Challenge, which is active on all Inglis Race Series events.
The winning trainer – crowned after the Inglis Challenge at Wagga on May 1 – wins a six-month rental-free lease of a customised Proteo Switch 3 horsebox.
