Moruya, Tamworth previews: Ring of Fire is ready to cash in for trainers Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden

Lightly-raced two-year-old Ring Of Fire can bank an early career win at Moruya on Friday before heading off to the paddock in readiness for spring.

Master trainer Keith Dryden says he is ‘excited’ about the future prospects of the well-bred colt Ring of Fire who travels to Moruya on Friday in search of an early career win before heading off to the paddock.

The Canberra based two-year-old, who Dryden trains in partnership with Libby Snowden, sent out all the right signs when a close and closing second on debut at Wagga at the start of the month.

“He’s a nice horse,’’ Dryden said. “I am a little bit excited about him actually.”

“He is very immature and is only having this run and he’ll go straight to the paddock after it but I think as a three-year-old, he’ll be a very nice horse. He still really doesn’t know what he is doing yet.”

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Ring Of Fire’s father, North Pacific, split stablemate Ole Kirk and King’s Legacy in the 2020 Golden Rose.

Given the lure a $1 million purse and Group 1 status, could Ring of Fire be a participant in the 2025 edition this spring?

Time will tell, but Dryden is focused less so on any particular race as much as on the racehorse himself.

“He’s lean and I’m pumping as much feed into him as he can take but he’s in that growing pains stage,’’ Dryden explained.

“He is showing me enough to say ‘put him away and look after him’.

“If you go back through the years, I don’t race many two-year-olds. I am a great believer, it’s like building a house, a good foundation extends the lifespan and longevity of a horse.”

Ring Of Fire is one of those rare horses who can claim a ‘Champion’ in his family.

His sixth dam is Amarco, the mother of Tobin Bronze, whose 28 wins included the Cox Plate, VRC Derby, Caulfield Cup, Toorak Handicap and Mackinnon Stakes.

Dryden and Snowden’s first runner on the Moruya card on Friday is the progressive Sepoy filly, Bardette, who has all the tools required to nail the Mitre 10 Country Boosted Maiden Plate over 1425m.

“The trip should suit,’’ Dryden said. “She’s got home well from back in the field at her last couple of runs.

“I think she would probably be better off over a mile but we’ve had a virus go through the stable so I had to ease off everything so that’s why she is so long between runs.”

While Bardette and Ring Of Fire are both making their first visit to Moruya, stablemate Pretty Eyed is familiar with the picturesque South Coast venue having raced there six times prior to today.

Pretty Eyed makes it back to back wins! pic.twitter.com/N4wkHJO3bI

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The daughter of Yarraman Park Stud resident Hellbent has an affinity with Moruya; so much so that both of her career wins have come there.

“She is getting on a little bit now but I am pleased with her work and she looks a picture,’’ Dryden reported.

Pretty Eyed was the fourth foal of the Gerry Harvey-bred mare Dancing Doll who was well known to Dryden.

He trained the daughter of Danehill Dancer for the last 13 of her total 39 starts, winning twice.

Pretty Eyed will be ridden by Shaun Guymer who steered Dancing Doll around Kensington in a midweeker back in August, 2011.

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Northam chasing winners at home, and on the Highway

Trainer Rodney Northam. Picture: Jenny Evans

Rodney Northam will be in town on Saturday on a quest for yet another Highway win.

Before that, he’ll be closer to home – at Tamworth to be precise – where he stands an undeniable chance of bringing his total number of winners at the tablelands track to 100.

Saturday’s Highway participant, Great Point, became Northam’s 98th winner at Tamworth when charging past her rivals at the June 16 meeting.

Friday’s potential 99th and 100th Tamworth winners are the three-year-old stablemates See You Then and This One Time, both of whom are expected to press for favouritism in their respective assignments.

First to go is See You Then who has had the flashing lights on, full beam, when a fast finishing runner-up at either side of her spell.

See You Then’s second-up mission is a virtual, yet smaller, carbon copy of her 1000m Tamworth Maiden 11-days ago where she was firing on all cylinders late in the piece.

“She’s obviously knocking on the door with two seconds, you can’t do much more than that without winning,’’ Northam said.

“She has drawn a little wide but I think that might help her. She won’t be rushed. She drew inside the other day and was ridden along a bit to hold her spot.

“So I think she is probably better off drawn a bit wide so she can find her feet a little bit more and hopefully the track is playing (fair) so that you can make a little bit of ground down the outside.

“I nom’ed her in the 1200m as well as the 1000m looked a bit softer race so I decided to go that way.”

Northam is widely acknowledged as having an expert eye at the yearling sales, collecting numerous bargains over time.

One such horse headed that way is This One Time, a $36,000 Rod Northam Racing purchase at the 2023 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale.

The Sledmere Stud raised filly went within inches of bagging a hat-trick of wins when a brave and determined second at Tamworth recently.

The fact that she was six weeks between runs only added merit to her effort.

“It just told that little bit and she’ll be better for that run,’’ says Northam. “She’s been really good this prep.

“She always showed something as a young horse and is starting to race a bit more consistently and figure out what is going on.”

Originally published as Moruya, Tamworth previews: Ring of Fire is ready to cash in for trainers Keith Dryden and Libby Snowden