Fireworks lights up for Camilleri, Ryan & Snitzel
Owner-breeders John & Deborah Camilleri celebrated a rare double at Rosehill on Saturday when their home-bred Fireworks outgunned a smart group of 2YO fillies in the $150,000 ATC Widden S. 1100m G3.
The Camilleris’ Fairway Thoroughbreds had featured earlier in the day as the breeder of Vancouver, winner of the ATC Canonbury S. G3 for juvenile colts and the new favourite for the $3.5 million ATC Golden Slipper S. G1 on 21 March.
Fireworks, placed at Gosford on debut and again at Randwick on 17 January, settled well back and, cleverly directed by Brenton Avdulla, sustained a big run to overhaul Lake Geneva and Igraine inside the final 100 metres.
Fireworks’ victory also brought up milestones for her sire, dam and trainer. She is the 27th stakeswinner and the 15th 2YO stakeswinner for Snitzel, and the fourth stakeswinner for her splendid dam Calvinia (by Varick), after G1 Calveen, G2 Kosi Bay and Listed stakeswinner Striker. Calvinia is a winning half-sister to Group 1 winner English Wonder, dam of champion 3YO Dr. Grace and Asia (South Australian Oaks G1).
For trainer Gerald Ryan, Fireworks is the 30th individual winner, and sixth Group winner (following Snitzerland, Flying Snitzel, Hot Snitzel, Time For War & Dances On Stars) by his former stable star Snitzel.
Ryan is in no rush with Fireworks, who is not nominated for the Blue Diamond or the Golden Slipper.
He says, “She’s had three runs now so I’d like to back off her and let the water settle.
“I think she’s still got a lot of growing and strengthening up to do. But she’s done a huge job, a furlong out I thought she was only going to run third. We’ll just sit back and wait and see what happens.”
Fireworks’ dam and sisters have a total of five yearlings catalogued for the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, among them Haunui Farm’s Redoute’s Choice colt from Striker and a More Than Ready colt from Stellar Vinia (Redoute’s Choice-Calvinia) in the Segenhoe Stud draft.
Snitzel, now second on the Australian 2YO Sires’ list, has 10 lots catalogued for the upcoming Inglis Classic Sale including a colt and a filly in the Arrowfield draft.
