Trainer Gerald Ryan has revealed that talented filly Fireworks is set to return to the races in the 2015 Silver Shadow Stakes at Royal Randwick on August 22.
Fireworks claimed his maiden race win in the Widden Stakes during the 2015 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival. Photo by: Steve Hart
Ryan was not expecting a great deal out of Fireworks during her juvenile campaign, but after two unlucky performances she stamped herself as a filly to watch with a narrow win in the Group 3 Widden Stakes (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens on January 31 before she finished third in the Group 2 Reisling Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on March 7 and failed to get into the race when 13th in the Group 1 Golden Slipper (1200m) at Rosehill Gardens on March 21.
Fireworks was sent to the spelling paddock following her Golden Slipper flop and Ryan told Racing Ahead that the Snitzel filly had taken plenty of benefit from the break ahead of her return to racing in the Group 2 Silver Shadow Stakes (1200m).
“She has done really well,” Ryan said.
“We went to the Slipper with her and then we went to the paddock and she was able to have ten weeks out.
“She has come up really well, she has gotten a lot stronger, is eating a lot bigger feed, looks really well and she will probably go through the Princess Series and start first-up in the Silver Shadow.”
Fireworks is set to press on to the Group 2 Furious Stakes (1200m) at Royal Randwick on September 5 and step-up to 1400 metres for the Group 2 Tea Rose Stakes (1400m) at Royal Randwick on September 19, but Ryan admits that he is not sure how the rising three-year-old would fare over a mile in the Group 1 Flight Stakes (1600m) at Royal Randwick on October 3.
“I think that she will get to 1400 metres,”
“Whether she runs a mile or not I don’t know, but her pedigree says that she would and her racing pattern suggests that she would.
“We will just play it by ear and see, but at this stage I am thinking that she is a 1400 metre horse.”
Ryan has not had a great deal of luck in the Flight Stakes and previously missed the placings with Flying Snitzel (sixth behind Norzita in 2012), Melito (fourth behind More Joyous in 2009), Break Card (seventh behind More Joyous in 2009) and Intuit (seventh behind Samantha Miss in 2008).
