Fireball Miss will aim to become the third horse to complete The Roses – Queensland Oaks double when she lines up in the Group 1 feature over 2200m at Eagle Farm on Saturday.
The daughter of Bivouac rocketed into Oaks contention with a decisive victory in the Group 2 The Roses (2000m) and despite not looking like a Classic type initially, the Ciaron Maher trained filly has continued to impress since.
Fireball Miss will be joined by stablemate Paltrow Miss on Saturday and while the stable are happy with both horses, their chances took somewhat of a hit after drawing barriers 18 and 22 respectively, which will come into 13 and 17 if the emergencies fail to gain a start.
“Fireball Miss has been ultra impressive,” national assistant trainer Jack Turnbull said.“She’s been progressive through the Winter, we’ve always thought a lot of her, but to see her get out to a trip and to pull it off in the last start, it’s fantastic, so she’s in really good shape.
“She had a lot of speed as a young yearling and two-year-old but the more we put pressure on her and the more time she had, she gave us the impression she’d want a trip.
“When I say a trip, is that an Oaks trip, who knows, but you give them the opportunity at three and she might sharpen up as an older mare.
“But for now, we would be very confident, given how she ran last start, that she’d be fine at the trip, ridden the same or similar way.”
The stable elected to scratch the lightly raced Paltrow Miss from The Roses and will go in fresh off a third placing to Panova in the Group 1 Australasian Oaks (2000m) at Morphettville.
“She’s not a big horse and she was drawn wide,” Turnbull said of Paltrow Miss.
“We thought if we just played our cards right and thought of her rather than anything, if we had of run, it’d probably see her out and then that’s it.
“She was bought for an Oaks, she was third in Adelaide at her third start so she’s good and progressive as well.”
Fireball Miss was rated a $9 chance with Declan Bates maintaining the ride while Paltrow Miss is at $19 with Craig Williams booked.
Chris Waller will have a strong hand with last-start Australasian Oaks winner and $4.80 favourite Panova drawn well in barrier six, Soverato in eight and The Roses runner up Chispa drawn in barrier 20, with jockeys yet to be confirmed for the trio.
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