FIREBURN ASTOUNDS IN SLIPPER
GARY Portelli had given up, Brenton Avdulla thought he could not win – but Fireburn had other ideas.
In one of the most exciting and dramatic finishes to the $5m Longines Golden Slippers in years, Fireburn turned imminent defeat into an improbable win at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday.
The filly was involved in serious interference and horses do not recover to win the world’s richest two-year-old race.
But Fireburn came from nowhere with a brilliant burst through near the rail for a famous win.
This was a second Golden Slipper for trainer and jockey – and sometimes things are just meant to be.
Portelli felt the stars had been aligning all season for him to repeat his 2017 Golden Slipper triumph with She Will Reign but this year he had two great chances, Fireburn and Sejardan.
“Both of my horses got into a scrimmage down the back,’’ Portelli said.
“Fireburn got put on her nose and I lost contact with her as I thought she was out of the race
“I started to follow Sejardan as he began to build but then he ran into dead ends and was in all sorts of trouble.
“At the 600m I thought we are out of play, this is not our year.
“Then I saw Fireburn’s colours starting to sneak through and when she decides she is going to get you, she gets you, she has such a big motor – and Brenton, what a ride!”
Avdulla had plotted a path through the field on Fireburn for an amazing Golden Slipper win.
Sydney’s former premier jockey is racing’s feel-good story of the year – his second Golden Slipper win after Estijaab in 2018 coming a month after his comeback to race riding after he suffered a serious neck injury in a fall back in August.
“It’s hard to get rides any time of the year but when you’re off a setback and trying to get the weight under control,’’ he said.
“To come out and win a Slipper again, I thought it was going to be hard to get one but now I’ve got two in four years.’’
Fireburn ($12) emerged from the
She has such a big motor
pack and powered past game frontrunner Best Of Bordeaux ($11) to win by a widening 2½ lengths with favourite Coolangatta ($3.70) a long neck away third.
Godolphin duo Daumier (fourth) and Ojai (fifth) were close behind the placegetters, while Rise Of The Masses finished at the rear of the field.
Avdulla conceded he the thought Fireburn had been put out of the race when involved in the interference early.
“Then there was a massive shuffle up as we went out of the chute, I thought our race was over,’’ he said.
“Then at the 300m I thought this filly is still going to win. I had to duck and weave up the straight and when she came off Best Of Bordeaux’s back it was race over.
“She is an amazing filly and this is a crazy feeling – it’s very special.”