Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Exciting four-year-old Magnificent Storm will enjoy a spell of three to four weeks at managing owner Robbie Tomlinson’s Pinjarra property before returning to trainer Ray Williams’ Mt Helena stables to be prepared for the rich Fremantle and WA Pacing Cups in the summer.
“I’ll get him back in time, and he will have probably three to four runs before the big Cups,” said Williams after the champion New Zealand-bred American Ideal pacer cruised to a superb victory in the $50,000 group 2 Navy Cup at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
“After the Cups we will discuss plans to take him east. That has always been the plan provided he maintains his form.” High on the list of feature events for Magnificent Storm is the $1 million Miracle Mile at Menangle next March.
Aiden de Campo, driving Magnificent Storm on Friday night for the first time as the replacement for the suspended Aldo Cortopassi, said that he enjoyed the experience. “It’s always good to get behind good horses and he did the job in fine style,” he said.
Magnificent Storm, the only runner on the back line in the field of ten, was the $1.30 favourite who settled down in fifth position as the polemarker Blue Blazer ($34) set the early pace before Ryan Warwick dashed the $3.70 second fancy Vampiro to the front after 500m.
De Campo was content to leave Magnificent Storm in the breeze before he burst to the front 250m from home and went on to win by just over a length from $101 outsider Back In Twenty, who had begun speedily and then raced in fourth position. Medieval Man ($34) impressed in finishing strongly from sixth on the pegs at the bell to be third, with Vampiro wilting to fifth.
The winner was not fully extended in rating 1.55.1 over the 2130m, with the final three quarters being run in 28.3sec., 28.4sec. and 29.6sec. This improved his record to 20 starts for 18 wins and boosted his earnings to $321,384. He has raced 19 times in WA for 18 wins and a second placing.