James McDonald is on the cusp of equalling a long-standing Australian racing record as he partners with Firestorm in Saturday’s Tattersall’s Tiara, the season’s final Group 1 event.
Having already notched 15 Group 1 victories in the 2024-25 season, McDonald needs just one more to match Malcolm Johnston’s 1979-80 mark. He’ll have that opportunity aboard Firestorm, who is currently the $4.20 favourite despite drawing wide in barrier 19.
The Chris Waller-trained mare is one of up to four runners for the stable, alongside Olentia, Konasana, and emergency runner Gumdrops.
Waller’s assistant Charlie Duckworth is confident Firestorm is ready to shine, provided the race sets up with sufficient pace.
“She has got exceptional form behind Lady Shenandoah in the Coolmore Classic and then in the Doncaster Mile, they just didn’t go quick enough for her to feature. She needs a bit of tempo on,” Duckworth said.
“Her first-up run the other day was brilliant. It wasn’t a very hard run either so she has bounced through that. She went to the farm for a couple of days and came back and she has done really well.”
Firestorm had a light autumn, taking out the Millie Fox Stakes (1300m) before narrowly going down to Lady Shenandoah in the Coolmore Classic (1500m). Her latest outing saw her finishing strongly into third behind Floozie in the Dane Ripper Stakes (1300m), one of her key rivals again this weekend.
Duckworth noted that McDonald will be highly motivated on Saturday. “James is only riding three on the day so he is going to have to make them all count,” he quipped.
Stablemate Olentia will be looking to bounce back from an underwhelming effort in the Dane Ripper, while Konasana and Gumdrops have continued to work well. Konasana, in particular, is chasing a Group 1 breakthrough after near misses in New Zealand earlier this year.
“She was unlucky not to win a Group One in New Zealand so she is on the hunt for that elusive race,” Duckworth added.
Want to back James McDonald or Firestorm in the Tattersall’s Tiara? Make sure to check the top options available on our list of Australian betting sites.
