Fire Up Fifi Set For Coolmore Classic And Queen Of The Turf Stakes

The Group 1 Coolmore Classic (1500m) and the Group 1 Queen Of The Turf Stakes (1600m) will be the major 2014 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival goals for Queensland-based mare Fire Up Fifi.

Fire Up Fifi will have the chance to record a win at Group 1 level in the Coolmore Classic and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes.

Fire Up Fifi will have the chance to record a win at Group 1 level in the Coolmore Classic and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes. Photo by: Race Horse Photos Australia

Trainer Robert Heathcote told Racing Ahead this morning that Fire Up Fifi had returned to trackwork just over a week ago, after spending just over a month in the spelling paddock following her tough third place finish in the Group 1 Railway Stakes (1600m) at Ascot on November 23.

Heathcote said that Fire Up Fifi had relished her time away from the stable and is clearly looking forward to giving her another chance to record her maiden win at Group 1 level in the Coolmore Classic at Rosehill Gardens on March 22 and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes at Royal Randwick on April 19.

“We are going to take her down to Sydney as well and there are some nice races culminating in the Coolmore and the Queen Of The Turf Stakes,” Heathcote said.

“That will be her goal.

“She has done really well.

“She had a super spring and she ran a cracker in the Railway in Perth was a bad alley.

“She traveled well back home and has had the benefit of a five week break.

“I am looking forward to it.”

Fire Up Fifi has performed consistently in Brisbane since making her debut in 2011 and earnt an opportunity at the highest level of racing after recording wins in the Listed Spear Chief Quality (1500m) and Mercedes Benz Mile (1600m) during the 2013 Brisbane Winter Racing Carnival.

The Bradbury’s Luck mare started her 2013 Spring Racing Carnival campaign with a disappointing 12th in the Group 3 Sheraco Stakes (1200m) before recording her maiden win at Group level with a strong finishing burst in the Group 2 Blazer Stakes (1410m) at Flemington.

She had no luck when forced to come from the back of the field in the Group 2 Tristarc Stakes (1400m), but finished an impressive third behind Red Tracer and Catkins when making her Group 1 debut in the Myer Classic (1600m) on Victoria Derby Day.

Fire Up Fifi was well backed in the lead-up to the Railway Stakes, despite drawing barrier 13 out of  15, and fought bravely on the pace to finish third behind the swooping Luckygray and locally-trained Platinum Rocker.

The Queen Of The Turf Stakes is now worth $1 million and will be run at Royal Randwick as part of The Championships.

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Thomas Hackett

Thomas is a passionate and opinionated racing journalist and punter who has been obsessed with horse racing since he backed Saintly to win the 1996 Melbourne Cup. An international racing enthusiast, he has his finger on the pulse of racing news not just from Australia but all around the world.