Ken Casellas | Photo: PACEPIX
Champion pacer Magnificent Storm continued along his merry way, romping to an effortless victory in the $50,000 Catalano Truck And Equipment Village Kid Sprint at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
And the equine millionaire will now go for a spell at managing owner Rob Tomlinson’s Pinjarra property before resuming training in preparation for the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race on April 19 and the $300,000 Fremantle Cup the following week.
“He is going to the paddock now,” said trainer Ray Williams. “And then he will be set for some good races (including the Pinjarra Cup, Bunbury Cup and Governor’s Cup) before the Nullarbor and Fremantle Cup.
“I’m glad it’s over now; when you are a $1.02 favourite it’s not easy, with the pressure.”
Magnificent Storm, driven by Dylan Egerton-Green, was the $1.04 favourite from barrier two, and he was challenged at the start by the $23 chance Blitzembye, who began speedily from the No. 5 barrier and got three-quarters of a length in front of the favourite but was unable to cross to the front.
Shannon Suvaljko then was able to ease Blitzembye to take the trail behind Magnificent Storm, who simply coasted through the opening quarters of the final mile in 30sec. and 29.7sec. before sprinting over the final 400m sections in 28.3sec. and 26.8sec. to win by three and a half lengths from Blitzembye.
Magnificent Storm rated 1.53.9 over the 1730m, the identical rate he posted when he won the Village Kid Sprint from Hampton Banner 12 months earlier. His gross time was 2min. 2.4sec., whereas his time last December was 2.2.5.
Six-year-old Magnificent Storm goes into his well-deserved spell with a wonderful record of 58 starts for 36 wins and nine placings for earnings of $1,107,483.