Fire Legend Hands Moroney Lifelong Dream In Cup

MARK Moroney finally landed his personal “Holy Grail” when veteran Fire Legend won the Sprinters Cup at Grafton on Wednesday night and he puts it all down to a revolutionary substance he heard about through Coolmore Stud.

Fire Legend (Fernando Bale-Tick Away Fire) at four years and three months of age, held off hot favourite Typhoon Sammy to win the Cup in 25.31 scoring by a length and a half with Country Double a great third.

“It is a great thrill,” said Mark of the Cup victory.

“I was not expecting too much which showed with his price of $16 for the final.

“But, he's just a fabulous race dog who ran his quickest first section  and fastest overall.”

Fire Legend has now won nine of his past 10 starts and took his overall record to 106 starts for 44 wins, 33 placings and $228,000.

What a grand old warrior! ? ?

Fire Legend IS a legend – and he's taken out the Village Green Hotel Sprinters Cup Final at Grafton tonight!

He won in 25.31 from Typhoon Sammy and Country Double.

Full Results: https://t.co/Lae72I2ZRl#thedogs #greyhoundracing #graftoncarnival pic.twitter.com/pLNI8STA5l

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) July 13, 2022

Moroney puts it all down to a product called “4CYTE”.

“This dog kept pulling up sore in his off wrist,” said Mark. “Chris Fields, who checks him over after he races, spent a few days at Coolmore and he came back with the advice about 4CYTE.

“It contains abalone, New Zealand green-lipped mussel and marine cartilage and the stud uses it on horses with arthritis.

“The proof is Fire Legend. Since I started using it, he has been beaten once in 10 starts and that was when he was knocked down in a heat of the Thunderbolt.

“The soreness in his wrist has gone. It is miracle stuff and so many people have been asking me about it.”

Moroney was thinking about heading to the NT for the Darwin Cup heats on Sunday week but will skip that and head to Gosford for a Masters race in two weeks time.

“His big target is the Masters Meteor at Wenty in September,” said Mark. “That's his big aim.”

Moroney, whose family are all Grafton born and bred, has been striving to win the Sprinters Cup since his star Fire Cape won the Stayers Cup 31 years ago.

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DENNIS Barnes has been taking his family to Grafton for the July carnival “on and off for 42 years”.

He admitted he was missing some of the old faces he saw every carnival and was wondering if he could enjoy himself as much.

“That all changed last night,” said Dennis after Nangar Rocket (Feral Franky-Little Nanger) swept around early leader Lee's Tiger to win the time-honoured July Maiden (450m) in 25.44.

Littermate Nangar Chief was third.

“That's our third win in the Maiden final,” boasted Dennis.

But, he also admits he had to change his entire training since the track change at Grafton.

“I came up last year with dogs ready for the old 407 metres of the maiden and got blown away,” he said. “The 450 metres at Grafton is more like a 520 at Albion Park.”

Dennis admitted to having “a little something” on Nangar Chief in the final at big odds.

“There is nothing between them when we trial them,” he said. “And Chief was over the odds.”

The Barnes family will pack up and head home on Saturday with yet another July Maiden trophy firmly in the luggage and with plans to be back in 2023.