Juvenile Action Heating Up in Australia

With Australia's first top-level juvenile test–the G1 Ladbrokes Blue Diamond S.–just a week away at Caulfield, 2-year-old action was front and center early Saturday afternoon in Victoria and New South Wales with some top performances from horses who could be heard from over the next couple months.

The racing action at Flemington kicked off with the Listed Asian Executive S. (Talindert S.), a race won over the last handful of years by such luminaries as future G1 Golden Slipper S. winner Miss Finland (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}); Star Witness (Aus) (Starcraft {NZ}), who backed up successfully in the Blue Diamond, albeit three weeks later; and All Too Hard (Aus) (Casino Prince {Aus}), who won on debut, added a pair of Group 2s at two and four Group 1s at age three.

Sun Stud's Prairie Fire (Aus) (Snitzel {Aus}), the A$625,000 second-dearest lot at the Inglis Melbourne Premier Sale last March, was the $4.40 (22-5) joint-favourite off a debut third behind Ennis Hill (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) in the G3 Chairman's S. a fortnight ago. Drawn widest in the field of 10, the blaze-faced bay was beaten for speed and tucked in for some cover before switching off heels and into the clear approaching the final 400m. Market rival Khulaasa (Aus) (f, Epaulette {Aus}) struck to the front on the inside rail at the furlong grounds, but Prairie Fire really found his feet at the 150m and raced away to score by a length beneath the in-form Mark Zahra to book his Blue Diamond ticket (video), for which he was sliced to a $9 chance from $51.

“He's improved since [the debut], we haven't galloped him too hard and he only galloped reasonable so that was a bit of a surprise how well he went then,” trainer Mick Price told Racing.com. “I spoke to Sun Stud before today and they definitely want to run him in the Blue Diamond which is why they ran him here. This is basically his gallop to get him to next Saturday, so I just need to give him a soft week and let him get over today.”

Bred by Palya Bloodstock, Prairie Fire was consigned to the Melbourne sale by Rosemont Stud. A 79th black-type winner and 31st 2-year-old stakes winner for Arrowfield's Snitzel (Aus), Prairie Fire is out of a half-sister to GSW & MG1SP Nina Haraka (Aus) (Fraar), herself the dam of SW & G1SP Extension of Time (Aus) (Dash for Cash {Aus}).

Royal Randwick played host to the A$150,000 Pierro Plate, not a black-type race nominally, but which attracted a stakes-quality field. Sent off the $6 (5-1) third choice, third-time starter Santos (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) raced keenly on the outside of favoured Legend of Condor (Aus) (Not a Single Doubt {Aus}), but did not waste any time surging past the leader with 200m to run and on to a good-looking 2 1/2-length victory from Exceltic (Aus) (Excelebration {Ire}). Legend of Condor faded into fourth, while the well-backed Tchaikovsky (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}) enjoyed the run of the race, but failed to lift in the final stages and finished fifth.

Bred and consigned by Emirates Park to the 2017 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Santos was purchased by and is trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for a syndicate that includes Emirates Park. A debut third in the Listed Breeders' Plate in September, he was a latest fourth to Legend of Condor in at Randwick Oct. 14. Santos is a half-brother to Melagrana (Aus) (m, 5, Fastnet Rock {Aus}), a seven-time winner in Japan, including the G3 Ocean S.

Casadiva (Aus) (Fastnet Rock {Aus}) was given a relatively soft introduction to the races in the opening race at Bendigo, but the A$1.15-million Inglis Easter purchase made the most of the opportunity to score by a handy length-and-three-quarter margin in a 2-year-old fillies' maiden (video). Ridden along early by Ryan Mahoney, Casadiva went through inside to challenge before the turn. Shaken up off the final corner, she pinched a break and proved not for catching as favoured Aristocratic Lady (Aus) (Foxwedge {Aus}) gave vain chase.

Bred by SF Bloodstock, Casadiva was consigned to Easter by Newgate Farm and is trained by Stanley at Sutton Grange. She is out of the Group 1-placed Fleur De'Here (NZ) (Dehere), the dam of SW & 2016 Blue Diamond third Zamzam (Aus) (Redoute's Choice {Aus}).