Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Champion pacer Magnificent Storm faces an acid test when he starts off the 60-metre mark in the 2503m Beau Rivage Buffet Dining Handicap at Gloucester Park on Friday night when he will concede a 50m advantage to star standing-start performer Himself.
This will be Magnificent Storm’s final appearance in Western Australia before he travels to Queensland to contest three rich feature events at Brisbane’s Albion Park next month.
There was no other suitable event for Magnificent Storm at Gloucester Park this week, with trainer Ray Williams anxious to give the outstanding six-year-old a strong workout before leaving for Queensland.
With Magnificent Storm conceding his nine rivals big starts, opposing drivers are sure to make life as tough as possible for the backmarker by setting a fast pace.
Himself, prepared by champion trainers Greg and Skye Bond and to be driven by Deni Roberts, is an up-and-coming star who has raced 27 times for twelve wins, six seconds and two thirds, with his 16 WA starts producing nine wins and four seconds. His eight stands in WA have resulted in seven wins and one second.
He is a brilliant standing-start performer who won twice in stands in New Zealand before coming to WA where his standing-start record is eight starts for seven wins and one second placing. He resumed after a spell in a 2130m mobile event last Friday week when he raced in the breeze and finished second to the pacemaker Finvarra, who rated 1.55.9 over 2130m with final quarters of 28.2sec. and 27.2sec.
Whether Himself will be able to get to an early lead is problematic, considering that the talented Soho Dow Jones is ideally drawn at barrier No. 2 on the front line. The Kim Prentice-trained Soho Dow Jones has had three starts in stands for two wins (when leading) and he is in peak form, winning convincingly at his latest three runs when driven with great confidence by Mitch Miller.
There is no doubting Magnificent Storm’s wonderful ability, but the 60m handicap appears an almost insurmountable problem. Aiden de Campo’s first task will be to get Magnificent Storm away safely, and then he will be looking for any slackening of pace during the race to provide him with the opportunity send the champion forward.
Magnificent Storm has contested one standing-start event, the 3309m Marathon Handicap in August 2021 when he began off 40m when he won by a half a length from The Tiger Army.