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NEWS 
THE TEAM
THE METHOD
GETTING STARTED
FAMOUS HORSES
STATISTICS
ROSTER
LINKS |
Barry Irwin, who bought the Jet Master mare privately as a 4-year-old, is convinced the mare could have won the 10-furlong fixture if Weichong Marwing would have been available, as he most likely would have made use of the mare’s prodigious stamina by pressing the pace of the wire-to-wire longshot winner Eddington. She’s on Fire was sent off as the favorite after being listed as high as 16 to 1 earlier in the week by bookies. Veteran trainer Ormond Ferraris said “She’s on Fire ran a nice race on Saturday. Pity we did not get first. However, we did pick up a nice second stakes ($92,900). “I have nominated her to run in the Durban July. I have spoken with (Weichong) Marwing and he has not at this stage committed himself to a ride. However, he did advise that it would all depend on the draw. I will keep you up to date.” Barry Irwin congratulated Ferraris on his accomplishment of taking a mare that had double knee surgery last year and returning her to the races better than ever. Ferraris will now attempt to win the $400,000 Durban July, the Republic of South Africa’s most prestigious prize. It is possible that Ferraris may even bring the mare back a month later at Clairwood race course to essay Canon Gold Cup, a Grade 1 fixture over 2 miles, a distance at which both her dam and granddam had won Graded stakes. In fact, her granddam Devon Air, won the Durban July. She’s on Fire must be considered along with Dancer’s Daughter as one of two top-ranked mares in training in South Africa. When She’s on Fire ran second in the GommaGomma Challenge the 5-year-old mare became runner number 50 to win or place in a Grade 1 race for a racehorse syndicated since 1987 by Barry Irwin. Nearly 1 in every 7 runners to race for an Irwin-formed syndicate has won or placed in a Grade 1 race and 1 in every 20 has won a Grade 1 race. These runners have come from horses bought as yearlings, unraced 2 and 3-year-olds, to previously raced runners. Grade 1 racehorses have represented their owners in such places as the United States, France, England, Ireland, Germany, Italy, South Africa, China and the United Arab Emirates. “I think it is safe to say that other than The Maktoums of $122-a-barrel oil-rich Dubai, that our horses have garnered wins and places in more places around the globe than any other stable, and of this fact I am very proud, as it is something we have strived for since we first began putting together these racing partnerships 21 years ago,” said Barry Irwin, principal of Team Valor International.
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