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By Ray Hickson

It’s taken a bit more time than trainer Peter Snowden thought for Fire Star to begin to realise his potential but he sees no reason he can’t take another step up at Rosehill on Saturday.

After winning on debut in fast time Snowden threw him straight into Group company but it took 10 starts for the gelding to win again, and he did it twice within nine days.

“Everything about the horse is no different,’’ he said.

“I’ve always liked him. At his first start in a race he ran 1:08.9, he got a big lead in front and he only just won. To be running that sort of time at his first start in a race I thought he was above average.

Trainer Peter Snowden (Pic: Steve Hart)

“I took him to the San Domenico and he led again and got run over late. He had another preparation and was a bit better, but not what I wanted to see, but his third preparation he’s come into his own now.”

Snowden said the four-year-old has continued to work well going into the Petaluma Handicap (1200m) but he can’t put his finger on exactly what switched the horse on so deep into a preparation.

Fire Star, $2.90 with TAB on Thursday, rises 2kg for his latest win at Warwick Farm and what Snowden likes about his form resurgence is the strength he’s showing in his races.

“He’s had six runs in now, the first four were all just doing the same thing then he’s gone bang, bang,’’ he said.

“He put in that really good run at Warwick Farm and I thought that was the first time he had a good crack when the pressure came on.

“Last start he got a bit keen midrace and I thought it’d test him but he just went better again. He’s turned the corner big time so hopefully it continues.”

Need Some Luck will chase successive wins for the first time in his short career in the Kia Ora Prague Handicap (1400m) after a game victory at Warwick Farm.

He’ll meet runner-up French Endeavour 4.5kg worse for the win but Snowden said he liked the resolve he showed after he was a beaten favourite in his first two runs this spring.

“He’s taken a little while to get there but it was good to see him win,’’ he said.

“Now he’s won one hopefully he can go on and win two or three.

“It was good to see him come again at the end. He ambled up to them on the corner and I thought he was going to put three on them then he struggled and he came again late. That last 100m of his race was good.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Rosehill meeting