News

Pop the Champagne - Fireball strikes again!

18th Apr 2026

The Inglis Millennium winner Fireball (Snitzel) cemented himself as a future stallion with a tenacious victory in today’s G1 Champagne Stakes at Randwick.

Fireball is arguably the most versatile juvenile of his crop – he won a pre-Christmas race over 1100m, won the $2m Inglis Millennium in February and has contested all three legs of the 2YO Triple Crown, culminating with today’s Champagne victory over 1600m.

The James Harron Bloodstock Colt Partnership teamed up with Tony Fung Colts to purchase the Chris Waller-trained Fireball for $460,000 at last year’s Easter Yearling Sale, from the Yarraman Park Stud draft.

Bred by Michael O’Keeffe, Fireball (pictured) has now won three of his six career starts and earned $2,030,000 in prizemoney.

Harron described today’s victory as “really special’’.

“He dug so deep there at the end, I’m really proud of the horse,’’ Harron said.

“He’s such a versatile horse and in today’s landscape, I think that’s what people want as there’s so many races for these horses and to win from 1100m to a mile at two, it just opens up so many possibilities going forward.

“He was always a gorgeous colt at the Easter Sale, a lovely big scopey son of Snitzel, he’s a horse we just had to have.

“It was our first year teaming up with TFI and to get a G1 winner in that first year of the partnership is super special, it means an awful lot, we’re thrilled to get the win today.

“Obviously Snitzel unfortunately is not with us anymore but he’s left an incredible mark in the industry and continues to do so every single week.

“To have a son like him waiting in the wings is exactly what we’re trying to do, we’re targeting sons of Snitzel to be in this position and it’s nice when a plan comes off because it’s a hard game to make plans come off.’’

Winning trainer Waller added: “Full credit to the horse because he's been able to deal with [a long preparation]. As I said to the owners before the race, he's coping so well, you wouldn't know he's deep into a prep, each run has had so much merit and not a lot of luck, so he deserved that today.”

Fireball becomes the 119th G1-winning Inglis graduate since 2018.

He is also the third Australian 2YO G1-winning colt to be produced from Inglis sales over the past two seasons.

The success of Fireball is yet another boost to the catalogue for the upcoming Chairman’s Sale, as his dam, Advance Party, is to be offered by the Newgate Consignment as lot 28.

Also on today’s Randwick card grand campaigner Mazu (Maurice) won an incredible third consecutive G3 Hall Mark Stakes, taking his career prizemoney to $10.9m.

The 7YO has been an incredible stalwart for syndicator Triple Crown, who purchased Mazu for $180,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale from his breeder Parsons Creek.

The Joe Pride-trained Mazu is now a 10-time winner from 46 starts.

“From an early 2YO to still be winning Group races in the autumn carnival as a 7YO, it’s just remarkable to have that consistency and longevity at the top level, he’s been an amazing horse,’’ Triple Crown’s Chris Ward said.

“We purchased him at Classic for $180,000 and it just shows you how much prizemoney is there for these horses. They don’t all go on to become stallions but you can reap the rewards all the same.’’

The success of Mazu was also part of a special day for Marc and Lindy de Stoop of Parsons Creek, who also share in the ownership of Fireball.

And the G1 Queensland Oaks looms as a primary winter target for talented filly Snitzel Dancer (Snitzel) following her victory in the G3 James HB Carr Stakes.

The Gerald Ryan and Sterling Alexiou-trained 3YO has raced just seven times for three career wins and will now head north for a “two or three run’’ Queensland preparation.

“Perhaps the Queensland Guineas against the boys or the Bracelet at the Gold Coast next,’’ co-trainer Ryan said.

“The Oaks is only 2200m, I think she’ll run at least 1800m so it might be worth a roll of the dice but it’s good to see her live up to what she’s shown us all along.

“We bought four Snitzel fillies at Easter that year and she was the most expensive one.

“BK Racing (Brad Hunt and Benny Vassallo) were underbidder on this filly and then they came in on her which was great.”

Ryan and Alexiou bought Snitzel Dancer for $425,000 at the Easter Yearling Sale, from her breeder Sledmere Stud.

Snitzel Dancer led in an Inglis Easter quinella today, defeating Plaintiff.

In Brisbane today Inglis graduates made a clean sweep of the black type races.

Progressive 3YO Brave Monarch (Brave Smash) scored a fourth career win at just his sixth start with victory in the Listed Daybreak Lover at Eagle Farm.

It was the first attempt at a Stakes race for the Chris and Corey Munce-trained Brave Monarch, who will now target more black type events during the Queensland Winter Carnival.

Syndicator Shelley Hancox purchased Brave Monarch for just $20,000 at the Classic Yearling Sale, from the draft of his breeder Yulong.

And Spicy Martini (Justify) scored a fourth Stakes victory with a spectacular first-up win in the Listed Ascot Handicap.

The exciting 4YO mare has won five of her 10 starts now for $620,000 in earnings – she’s just an $8000 Inglis Digital purchase.

Trained by Toby Edmonds, Spicy Martini presents as a lucrative racing and breeding prospect at next month’s Inglis Chairman’s Sale, where she will be offered as lot 9 in the Newgate Consignment.

She is one of two winners today that will be offered in The Chairman’s Sale following the victory of 3YO filly Torsheen at Mornington.

Torsheen will be offered as lot 18 in the Lime Country draft while Lumosity (lot 84) is a half sister to today’s $5m The Quokka winner Jigsaw.

The Chairman’s Sale will be held from 4pm on Thursday May 7 at Riverside.

To view the Chairman’s catalogue CLICK HERE.

And in Adelaide Rohesia (Hanseatic) scored a valuable first black type victory in winning the Listed Nitschke Stakes at Morphettville.

The 3YO Fernrigg Farm-bred filly is a $150,000 Premier Yearling Sale buy for his trainers Ben, Will and JD Hayes, from the Rosemont draft.