Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Late last year Pinjarra owner-trainer Russell Eddy was considering retiring his veteran pacer Fireplay before he was persuaded by Hamel trainer Kym Neal to give the old gelding a chance to revive his career.
Eddy has no regrets that he agreed to send Fireplay to be prepared by Neal, who brought the nine-year-old to Gloucester Park on Friday night when he was a $27.80 outsider from the No. 1 barrier in the $21,000 Pegasus and Milne Feeds Pace over 2130m.
Driven by Mitch Miller, Fireplay led for the first 600m before taking the sit behind the $2.50 favourite En Pariant Sur and finally easing off the pegs 200m from home and hitting the front soon afterwards before winning by a length from En Pariant Sur, rating 1.59.5.
“All credit is due to Kym,” said Eddy. “Last year we thought Fireplay was getting close to the end of his career, and Kym suggested that she take the horse and work him in the saddle. I agreed, and Kym has been riding him. He goes out in the pines and works up the hill.
“I bought him as a four-year-old for $10,000 from Michael Young, and this win takes his earnings past the $90,000 mark. We lost a bit of time with him a couple of years ago when he got his leg caught in a fence, and he was out for six or seven months.
Fireplay is an evergreen performer who has now raced 171 times for eight wins, 23 placings and $91,742. He is by American sire Shadow Play and is the second foal out of Kilifi Fire, who had 66 starts for ten wins, 15 placings and $57,273.
The New South Wales-bred Fireplay won once from 24 NSW appearances and once from three starts in Victoria before Young won once from ten starts with him. Then Eddy gave Fireplay 115 starts before sending him to Neal, who has scored two wins from 14 starts under her care.