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By Ray Hickson

‘Lady luck’ hasn’t visited star filly Fireburn so far this spring but jockey Brenton Avdulla says the Golden Slipper winner couldn’t be going any better as she eyes a third Group 1 at Royal Randwick on Saturday.

Brenton Avdulla and Fireburn (Pic: Steve Hart)

For the third time in as many starts the barrier Gods have worked against Fireburn, drawing nine of 10 in the Group 1 $750,000 Darley Flight Stakes (1600m), and that’s Avdulla’s main concern.

Trainer Gary Portelli thought long and hard about backing up after the filly’s eye-catching fifth in the Group 1 Golden Rose (1400m) last weekend and Avdulla said that performance showed the writing is on the wall.

“I’m still confident she’s going to be hard to beat but she‘s going to need things go her way,’’ he said.

“She hasn’t had a draw in her last couple but nine of 10 isn’t as bad as last week.

“In these sorts of races you need things to go well, you need luck in running and she hasn’t had lady luck this time in yet.”

Fireburn settled with just a couple behind her in the Golden Rose and Punter’s Intelligence sectional data showed she ran a 33.79 last 600m, second only to the winner Jacquinot.

The run vaulted her into favouritism for the Flight, she was $2.50 with TAB on Thursday, and while he’s not quite as bullish as he was immediately after the Golden Rose the jockey said there’s no doubt the filly is in top form and it’ll come down to how the race is run.

“I’ve been really happy with her, she couldn’t have done any more the other day,’’ Avdulla said.

“The winner was exceptional but no doubt if she draws a barrier she goes close.

“I think Randwick will suit her, the mile will suit and she gets back against the fillies. She goes on anything, the main thing is when she gets to a genuine wet track it takes the sting out of the others.

“She’s pretty one dimensional in that you just jump and ride her where she’s comfortable. From the draw it’s going to force my hand to go back anyway.

“Everything sets up well I think for her to go close, she’s just going to need that little bit of luck."

Whether it’s significant or not, it’s worth noting both runs this time in have been on good tracks.

With Randwick certain to be in the soft range at least it’s an edge Fireburn hasn’t had since her autumn heroics winning the Slipper and Sires’ on heavy ground and running a close second to She’s Extreme in the Champagne Stakes.

Epsom Day has been good to Avdulla, he won his first Group 1 race in the Flight Stakes in 2010 on Secret Admirer and returned a year later to win the Epsom on the same horse.

He partners Ellsberg, on the back up from a third in the Shannon Stakes last week, in the Group 1 $1.5m TAB Epsom (1600m) for the first time and while he’ll likely need a career best effort to win the jockey knows he’s on a genuine horse.

“He’s racing consistently. I think he’s poorly weighted compared to something like Hinged who is a Group 1 winner but he’s fit, he’s on the back up, and handles all conditions,’’ he said.

Fireburn runs fifth in the Golden Rose

“He’s drawn well and he’s going to get a great run. He had a few tricks early on but he’s pretty straightforward now.”

Avdulla hasn’t won the Group 3 $200,000 Arrowfield Breeders’ Plate (1000m) as yet and he partners Physical Graffiti for John O’Shea in the opening two-year-old race of the season.

The Russian Revolution colt, a $130,000 yearling, finished second at the official trials on September 19.

“He’s a nice little colt, a little pocket rocket. He coped with the trial well and he galloped well on Tuesday,’’ Avdulla said.

“There are a lot of unknowns, you don’t know how they will react on race day and with the conditions but he is there ready to run well.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Randwick meeting