The answer to that question is yes as both Bounding Away and Miss Finland were able to achieve the unlikely feat which faces Fireburn this Saturday in the $1million Group I ATC Australian Oaks and a look at pedigree reveals why Fireburn may well make it a hat-trick.
With a soft track predicted for Saturday and a strong late closing third in the Group I ATC Vinery Stud Stakes at 2000m, there is a growing school of thought that Fireburn might be ready to return to winning form in the Oaks.
On pedigree, there is also reason for optimism.
She might be by a speed sire in Rebel Dane, but her dam Mull Over is a half-sister by So You Think to a 2400m stakes-winner in Galizani, while her third dam Danarani won the G1 Flight Stakes and was third in an Australasian Oaks.
On pedigree face value it seems more surprising that she won a Golden Slipper, rather than if she won an Oaks.
Interestingly, the two other Golden Slipper winning fillies that also won Oaks races are bred in a similar way being by speed sires from mares with staying blood.
Miss Finland is by a versatile champion sire in Redoute’s Choice from an unraced daughter of G1 Epsom Oaks winner Moonshell and if you saw that pedigree in a sale today, you would think three year-old Guineas / Classic type filly… which is exactly what she was, her Champion 2YO season was an unexpected bonus!
Bounding Away was by the mighty speed sire Biscay (who sired another Oaks winner in Lowan Star) and was a half-sister to Glastonbury, who won the G1 The Metropolitan. Her dam Who Can Say was by an outstanding NZ based sire in Sovereign Edition (IRE) from a French bred mare carrying very stout European blood, so again what was probably surprising was that she won the Golden Slipper!
