Masters Legend Retired With Stud Looming

MASTERS superstar Fire Legend broke a hock in a trial at Casino on Friday morning and has been retired to stud.

The son of Fernando Bale and Tick Away Fire was trialling in preparation for the upcoming Group 3 Casino Cup series.

Breeder, owner and trainer Mark Moroney rushed the great sprinter to Kyogle vet clinic and he was being operated on urgently.

“He was only going to have a few more starts anyway,” said Mark. “He'd done everything he set out to do.”

In 120 race starts, Fire Legend won 54, was second 21 times and third 15 times for stakes of $359,000.

Back in September, Fire Legend gave Mark his greatest thrill in greyhound racing when he brilliantly won the $100,000-to-the-winner Masters Meteor.

What an absolute legend!

Fire Legend, at his 115th start, wins the GRNSW Masters Meteor in 29.74 after running 3rd in the May edition, to record his 52nd overall win…

Full Results: https://t.co/GfqLsf2AIw#thedogs #WentyPark #GreyhoundRacing pic.twitter.com/RLp6ifIrhM

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) September 24, 2022

It added to his win in the G2 Lismore Gold Cup and Grafton Sprinters Cup victory over sprint star Typhoon Sammy.

But, he was also third in the G1 Paws Of Thunder and another Lismore Cup and yet another Masters Meteor. He made a hoist of Group and feature race finals.

“His kennel name is Milo because he is red fawn like the colour of the drink,” said Mark. “The vets at Kyogle have been fantastic.

“I pick him up on Monday.”

Only last week Moroney took the dog to Sires On Ice to have semen collected and the results were “fabulous”.

“Obviously we will give him plenty of time to recover from the operation,” said Mark.

“But, he will be running around our new property at Mountain View, just outside Grafton, within a few months.

“We are looking forward to getting him established at stud.”

? Happy 50th, Fire Legend! ?

That's win number 50 – and 10 in a row – for Fire Legend at Maitland in the Masters last night, in a #BON time of 22.38 – he's definitely a legend!

Full Results: https://t.co/M1SJjf25g8#thedogs #MaitlandMondays #GreyhoundRacing pic.twitter.com/TaEjwfMcWx

— The Dogs (@Thedogs_com_au) August 30, 2022

Moroney said Fire Legend and his dam Tick Away Fire have “changed our lives”.

“He is four years and seven months old and there was not much more for him,” he said.

Fire Legend litter sister, multiple Group finalist Fire On Ice (22 wins, $95,000) has just whelped a litter by Aston Rupee. Her first litter, by Shima Shine, are just 11 months.

Moroney raves about them.

“We are putting up a pup yard to rear the Fire On Ice pups and have just bought a Flying Ricciardo pup out of Kooringa Lucy,” he said.