Mark Moroney believes he could have another Fire Cape in his kennel after his bitch She Is Fire scored an outstanding first-up Wentworth Park 720m win on Saturday night.
Moroney trained Fire Cape to win the 1991 Grafton Stayers' Cup and the 1992 NSW Distance Championship before finishing third in the National Distance Championship final, later retiring after breaking five track records and winning on 10 different tracks.
"She Is Fire won this year's Grafton Stayers Cup and now I'll have her in the NSW Distance Championship at Wentworth Park on Thursday, August 8,'' Moroney said after Saturday's win.
"If she earns the right to go to Adelaide for the National Distance Championship final I'm hoping she can improve on what Fire Cape did all those years ago.
"I doubt if there will be a 720m race on at Wentworth Park next weekend so I'll apply to trial her at Grafton as She Is Fire will need another race before the Sydney Championship race on Thursday week.''
On Saturday She Is Fire led quickly and after setting up a massive lead in the middle stages, faded slightly at the end of the 720m but still won by five lengths and stopped the clock at a slick 42.02.
Her first split was a sizzling 15.99, good enough to win most top grade 280m races at Wentworth Park.
Trainer Peter Rodgers will make a decision this week on whether to enter Superstar Ethics (pictured) for Saturday night's NSW heats of the National Sprint Championship at Wentworth Park.
Superstar Ethics overcame his customary moderate getaway and an early check to win a 520m fifth grade on Saturday in 29.65, fastest time of the meeting.
Superstar Ethics' win didn't surprise Rodgers who disclosed: "I trialled him at Wentworth Park over 520m last Monday and he clocked 29.35, with a third split of 17.65.
"He has also trialled 28.86 over 515m at Gosford, which broke Wow's track record of 28.88 set nearly four years ago.
"I won the 2023 Golden Easter Egg with Simply Limelight but I have not had a faster dog than Superstar Ethics.
"But because of the way he races, he can just as likely finish down the course next week so I'm uncertain whether to nominate him for next Saturday's NSW National Sprint Championship heats.''
Flash Boom Bang, who set a new Wentworth Park run home record in his 29.43 win over 520m last week, took 29.75 to win his fifth grade race on Saturday night but his performance was equally impressive.
While Jack Smith's dog received a clear run last week, he had to overcome two severe checks to run down Stop It and win by just over a length on Saturday.
Racegoers are understandably salivating at the prospect of Flash Boom Bang tackling a middle distance but Smith said on Saturday: "I'm in no hurry to step him up in distance because if I do, where do I go with him from there?"
Talk About Class, raced by a syndicate of businessmen from Jack Smith's home town of Forbes, scored his first Wentworth Park win on Saturday after being placed in four of five previous starts there.
After Talk About Class ran down First Lady to win by more than two lengths in 29.87 on Saturday, Smith said: "He is a far better dog on a bigger, roomier than Wentworth Park.
"He loves Temora but at Wenty he is awkward when he comes out of the boxes and is clumsy for his first few strides.
Gets Late Early won the group 1 Ladbrokes National Futurity in 29.85 but improved those figures by .04sec to take out Saturday night's top grade 520m event for trainer Minnie Finn.
Gets Late Early reveled in her wide box eight draw and swept around her rivals to hit the front going through the first corner, before holding on comfortably to win by two lengths.
Watchmaker went into a 520m fifth grade on Saturday night boasting just two wins from 23 starts but he led throughout for a runaway win in a slick 29.81 for trainer Neil Staines.
After the race Staines said: "I've only owned him for three or four starts after his owner decided he wanted to move him on.
"I wanted to keep training him and he has been going well, having had no luck in a couple of recent 450m races at Grafton.''
The Mark Gatt-trained Leg Speed won Saturday's fourth and fifth grade 520m race in 29.82 but runner-up Kangaroo Jack, although beaten two lengths, was desperately unlucky.
Hooked On Fame, who had box two, ran off on the first turn, presenting Leg Speed, in box one, with a dream rails run, and at the same time severely checking Kangaroo Jack who was making a fast run down the outside.
