Moroney Confident Of Bold Peter Mosman Showing

SHE might be a pint-sized 23.6 kilos, but it only makes Fire On Ice tougher to beat with breeder and trainer Mark Moroney of the firm belief he can win his first Group 1 when the bitch takes on the Peter Mosman Opal (520m) at Wentworth Park on Saturday night.

The daughter of Fernando Bale and Tick Away Fire goes into the final coming out of the five box following a career best 29.77 victory in last week's heat.

Fire On Ice is the sixth generation of the damline Mark Moroney has stuck by and one that has stuck by him.

“I sent my good dog Fire Cape to Graeme Bate to stand at stud back in the early 1990s,” said Mark.

“I asked him to look out for a pup or two by him. The first bitch he mated was Tanga Park and I bought a couple of pups one of which was Fire Crisis.”

Fire Crisis' litter included Fire Lad, the winner of a Sydney Cup and Stoke The Fire, which was second to Tenthill Doll in the Adelaide Cup. It augured well for Fire Crises as a potential broodbitch.

Some 27 years later and Mark Moroney is sticking loyal to the same damline and chasing his first Group 1 victory on Saturday night.

“We've won the Black Top, the Newcastle Cup, the Bankstown City Cup but never been in a group 1 final,” he said.

And Mark gives his bitch a huge chance.

“The two hardest to beat are the seven and the eight (Lilly Banner and Nangar Silk),” he said. “But I don't think either are well boxed.

“Even though my bitch has the five, I think she has the inside bitches covered.

“If she can get into as close as third going down the back straight, she will be coming on very strong at the finish.”

Mark is proud of the fact Fire On Ice, at just 23.6 kilos, is such a tough competitor which runs in her fourth group final at the tender age of just two years and three months this Saturday.

The five box is the least of Mark's concerns.

“She lives in bad boxes,” he says. “In her past 12 starts, she has drawn inside box six only once.

“And, being only 23.6 kilos means nothing to her. When she cops a bump, it seems to make her even more determined.

“She came home in 11.70 last week and not too many get close to that. I think she will run 600 metres for sure in the future, but if she can run 700 metres, she could be a superstar stayer.”

Moroney says putting his damline to champion Fernando Bale had lifted it to another level.

“This is the first time I've used such a great sire on the line and here we are in a group 1,” he said. “It has just produced better dogs.”

Litter brother Fire Legend is putting together a huge reputation in Melbourne under the guidance of Jason Thompson.

Mark Moroney has been in greyhound racing for decades. He spent three years working with Graeme Bate in Victoria learning his trade, had a stint training in Tassie, and has been consistently churning out winners from the Fire Crisis damline in NSW ever since.

“I've had other lines in my kennels but eventually I kick them out,” said Mark. “I know this damline and they keep producing for me.”

Saturday night at Wentworth Park, with a first Group 1 finalist, could be a crowning glory for Mark Moroney.

But, Fire On Ice is only starting her career and there is much, much more to come.