Moroney On Cusp Of Special Sprinters Cup Win

MARK Moroney is on a special mission next Wednesday to win the Grafton Sprinters Cup with his grand campaigner Fire Legend.

“It would be very special to win the Sprinters Cup because Grafton is where my family all grew up,” said Mark. “My dad John  and I won the Stayers Cup with Fire Cape way back in 1991.”

Mark has re-settled in Grafton only a year ago.

Sprinters Cup (in box draw order): 1 Orara Dan, 2 Country Double, 3 Showdown, 4 Fire Legend, 5 Devil King, 6 Liar For Hire, 7 Commands Respect, 8 Typhoon Sammy. Res: 9 Mitchell Street, 10 Cataclysmic.

Class told when speed stars Showdown, Typhoon Sammy and Fire Legend landed the three heats of the Cup (450m) on Wednesday afternoon.

Showdown, veteran of 60 starts for 18 wins, 16 placings and $107,000 in stakes, ran the quickest of the heats with a 25.28 win over Liar For Hire and Commands Respect.

Masters Meteor placegetter Fire Legend bounced back for a win at Grafton last night, starting a hot favourite and not letting his supporters down! What a legend!

Full Results: https://t.co/BwiklIoNnA#thedogs #graftongreys pic.twitter.com/Rc1BZVKLlY

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) May 17, 2022

Typhoon Sammy, boasting 50 starts for 30 wins, 11 placings and $206,000, led throughout to win in 25.41 over Orara Dan and Country Double.

Fire Legend, with credentials of 106 starts, 44 wins, 33 placings and $228,000, sped clear to win in 25.59 over Devil King and Mitchell Street.

“He turned four in April but he's like a two-year-old,” said Mark of Fire Legend.

“He's won seven of his last eight and his only defeat was when he was flattened out of the boxes in a heat of The Thunderbolt.”

The Sprinters Cup will be the 21st feature final for Fire Legend. He is the Group 2 Lismore Cup winner, has been placed in a Paws Of Thunder and also made the Harrison-Dawson at Group 1 level.

“He's also won on 21 different tracks,” said Mark. “In fact, if he hasn't been to a track, he thinks he's been there he's been to so many.”

Mark raves about the nature of Fire Legend and tells of his recent win at Wentworth Park.

“We drove from Grafton, picked up two three-month old pups at Port Macquarie to deliver to Cessnock, visited my mum at Wyong, went to Wentworth Park, waited until the last race, and he won easily,” said Mark.

“It was nothing for him.”

Fire Legend has drawn the four in the final but Moroney brushes aside any woes about box draws.

“They all come the same to him,” he said. “He gets the job done. He just knows how to win.”

But Moroney has huge respect for Typhoon Sammy in the final.

“He's the one boxed perfectly out in the eight,” he said.

“He's a high class dog who was one of the best in Jason Thompson's kennel when he was there and that is saying something.

“Sammy will love the long run down the back straight in the final.”