Champion trainer Chris Waller continues to strengthen his Golden Slipper arsenal, producing unbeaten youngster Fireball for a classy first-up win in the $2 million Inglis Millennium at Randwick.
Spelled after scoring on debut at Rosehill in November, the James Harron-owned colt and $4.60 favourite powered down the outside to deny Ghana’s Akan ($17) by a half-length with Alibaba ($26) another head away third.
Waller said the most impressive part of Saturday’s victory was the fact Fireball had done it on raw ability, and his best was still ahead.
“He will get stronger, and he’ll get faster. He’s got the frame, he is well bred,” Waller said of the son of Snitzel.
“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 also has Canonbury Stakes winner Hidrix on a path towards the $5 million Golden Slipper (1200m) and with that youngster likely to have his next start in the Silver Slipper (1100m) on February 21, Waller is keen to keep the two colts apart.
He will find another lead-up for Fireball, who he believes has the potential to develop into a serious contender for the juvenile showpiece.
“We’re starting to work them out, which is good,” Waller said.
“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 and 1200 metres, I think will suit him better, so one of those (1200 metre) ones coming up.”
McDonald credited Waller and his team for keeping the faith in Fireball, who he thought might have struggled to cope with the pressure of a big field in the Inglis Millennium (1100m).
“I’ve been saying all week to Chris that the colt is a bit of a ‘dummy’ and I wasn’t sure if he was ready for a test like this,” McDonald said.
“But great credit to Chris, he had faith in the colt and said, ‘he is a very nice horse, as you will see when he is put under pressure’.
“He was put under pressure today and we saw how well he responded.”
Craig Newitt was rapt with the performance of Blue Diamond Preview winner Alibaba, who was making his Sydney debut and attacked the line with gusto.
“He was unbelievable. On his Melbourne leg the whole race,” Newitt said.
“We were strung up in traffic, and he smashed the line. He’s a genuine Group One colt.”
