Darcy back like a fireball for Dwyer team

By Jordan Gerrans

The Dwyer camp felt Darcys Fireball was on a similar level with Group 1 star Not As Promised in the early stages of his career and they are over the moon to see him back winning after a lengthy injury enforced lay-off.

Now a five-year-old, but with just 15 starts to his name, Darcys Fireball was first-up since November of 2023 on Friday evening in the opening round of the time-honoured Jim McNeil Trotting Championship at Albion Park.

After three trials to prepare for the assignment, Darcys Fireball returned in booming fashion, scoring at a big price and proving that he was well and truly over his tendon issues.

Reinswoman Chloe Butler got going just before the home turn on the returning square gaiter and he was able to finish over the top of race favourite Agent Black in a driving finish.

As Darcys Fireball had been off the racing scene for a long time, trainer Graham Dwyer notes that it was a big effort to get his fitness back up to the level required, on top of mending his tendon concern.

“We were very pleased as he has nearly had two years off with that injury,” Dwyer said.

“When he came back, he had those first couple of trials and we were just building him back a bit to where we needed him to be.

“We were hopeful he would perform well, which he did, from a soft run. He had a bit of luck when he needed it, which definitely helped. He went good.”

The voice of harness racing in the Sunshine State Chris Barsby was quick to praise North Maclean horseman Dwyer following Darcys Fireball’s stylish return.

“That is a tip-top training performance,” Barsby said.

“Take a bow Graham Dwyer.”

The 50-year-old Dwyer had high hopes for Darcys Fireball in the early stages of his racing career.

Between September and November of 2023, the trotting gelding won four of his six starts.

Around the same time, Not As Promised was working his way through the trotting grades.

Fast forward to now and Not As Promised is a two-time Group 1 champion with a big agenda of feature races on the menu in 2025.

While Darcys Fireball still has a little way to go, the stable are hopeful he can back up the trainers early thoughts.

“We thought he was as good as Not As Promised he was going through his age races,” Dwyer said.

“There were little things that were going against him compared to Not As Promised back then but we are very happy with him now. The horse has pulled up well from Friday’s win, everything is really good.

“So far, so good and we are hoping he stays that way really.”

Just as Not As Promised was, Darcys Fireball was raced by Queensland harness racing industry figure Tony Veivers before he passed away earlier this year.

The late larrikin was able to enjoy the spoils of Not As Promised’s career while his stablemate was in the paddock for the period of time before his death.

Veivers knew the trotter would make it back in a big way.

“That horse will be winning first-up,” Dwyer recalls Veivers telling him before he passed away.

“He was adamant the horse would win.”

Not As Promised scored at the highest level at Maryborough in the Victoria Trotters Derby Final as well as the Group 1 Breeders Crown Series Final for 3YO colts and geldings at Melton in 2023.

Just 24 hours after Darcys Fireball landed his breakthrough winner, Not As Promised grabbed the 15^th victory of his career at Albion Park on Saturday evening.

In the other first round heat of the Jim McNeil series on Friday evening, Son Of A Sun was too strong for the team of Richard Hutchinson and Adam Richardson.

A respected businessman and horse owner, McNeil was a pioneer of trotting races in the Sunshine State, helping lift the horse population around Brisbane as well as increasing the profile of the form of racing.

The Jim McNeil Memorial Trotting Championship has been run since 2011.

Trotters that contest round one heats will be automatically drawn into round two heats on Friday of this week.

Points are awarded in each heat before the $27,186 Final on the last Saturday of March.

The field for the decider will consist of the 14 starters on most cumulative points following the heats.