Alex Ashwood-trained mare Major Fire makes it six straight wins with Melton success

The former New Zealand mare again raised the bar, notching up her sixth straight victory since joining the Ashwood and Tayla French team earlier this year.

A barnstorming 11.4-metre win will surely catapult the five-year-old daughter of Art Major and the mare Sparks Under Fire into favouritism for next Saturday night's $25,000 final at Melton.

Ashwood will have a strong hand in the race, after the stablemate Forgot The Wallet finished third behind the Denis McIntyre-trained Captain Pins in the first heat.

The 29-year-old continues to be excited by the strong and efficient mare, who came from one out and five back at the rear of the field at the bell, to sweep around the field and put herself in contention on the home turn, before storming away from her rivals in the straight.

"We haven't really found out how much she has left in the tank yet. She's doing it pretty easily," Ashwood said.

"All of her performances have been really solid and she is getting better with every run.

"She's a big mare and we haven't seen the best of her yet.

"(On Saturday night) it was set up for her and she capitalised and put them away pretty easily."

As good as an indication as any of the mare's potential, Ashwood said Major Fire had more than held her own against some of the stable's big guns in work.

"We've got a couple of nice ones here at the moment and she has been working against them," he said.

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"They are good measuring sticks and she certainly stretches them out to the line."

While it took Major Fire 11 starts to break her maiden at home in New Zealand, she arrived at Ashwood's stable on a definite upward trajectory.

Her eight starts on home soil following her maiden win produced a win and three seconds, piquing the astute young trainer's interest.

"We were looking for a horse out of New Zealand and Cam Lee, who is a part-owner of Major Fire, picked her out," Ashwood said.

"I loved the way she went about her business and the way she covered the ground.

"We paid a small fortune for her and got her, but she is starting to pay us back."

If everything goes smoothly next Saturday night, Ashwood will consider sending Major Fire north for a crack at the Carousel heats at Tabcorp Park Menangle on September 16.

The $50,000 final will be run the following week.

"We'll get through this (Rising Stars) series first and see how she goes, but if she pulls up well and does everything right, she will more than likely go up there for a couple of runs," Ashwood said.

"She will love the track up there. She's a big mare and gets over the ground pretty well.

"And I think she can run a good mile too."

Ashwood's Group 2-winning mare Tay Tay finished second in last year's Carousel Final behind Port Au Prince.

The young trainer-driver was happy with his other two runners at Melton and is expecting Forgot The Wallet to run a competitive race in the Rising Stars Final following her third behind Captain Pins.

The five-year-old mare is without a win in five starts this campaign, but has been placed four times, including twice at harness racing headquarters.

Ashwood said Tay Tay, who finished fourth behind the ultra-smart Emma Stewart-trained mare Tough Tilly in the Graham Goffin Memorial, could consider herself a little unlucky.

"Tay Tay was excellent first-up. They walked and got home in 25.8, but she made ground and kept on the back of (second placegetter) Treachery," he said.

"Tough Tilly was just too good."

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