Ken Casellas | Photo: Hamilton Content Creators
Astute Mt Helena trainer Ray Williams celebrated his 80TH birthday on Sunday with family and friends, and with a contented smile after his pride and joy, the eight-year-old New Zealand-bred pacer Magnificent Storm had completed a wonderful comeback to racing with an imperious win in the $31,000 Taste Of WA Pace at Gloucester Park on Friday night.
His victory as the $1.70 favourite over the $3.10 second fancy Lusaka was a moment for Williams to savour after the disappointment of the champion being injured and being forced to miss the $1,250,000 Nullarbor slot race at Gloucester Park in April this year.
Soon after winning the Bunbury Cup at the end of last March Magnificent Storm bruised the splint bone in his off foreleg and was unable to contest the Nullarbor, a race he missed in 2024 when injured, and a year after he finished a most unlucky seventh as a hot favourite in the inaugural Nullarbor in 2023.
Patient care by Williams and expert assistance from his son Grant and Rob Tomlinson, the major shareholder, combined to cure the latest injury, and the gelding has revealed no signs of any problems in his three runs in his comeback trail.
“He has had a few hassles and his first two runs in this campaign have been fantastic,” said Williams. “And I was surprised to hear before tonight’s race that Magnificent Storm didn’t have the speed to cross to the front from barrier three. But he did. He has always had very good gate speed and has led from barriers eight and nine.”
Magnificent Storm had little trouble in surging past the polemarker and dashing last-start winner Lusaka, and he was able to run a comfortable lead time of 37.1sec. followed by modest opening quarters of 29.3sec. and 30.8sec. followed by sparkling final 400m sections of 27.9sec. and 27.4sec.
Star reinsman Aiden De Campo was delighted with Magnificent Storm’s performance, saying: “You forget how quick he is off the gate, and once he got to the front easily, it was a fun ride. He has taken all the [problems he’s had over the past couple of years in his stride and he feels as good as ever.”
Williams said that the main aim for Magnificent Storm was to contest the $450,000 WA Pacing Cup on December 12 before contemplating another tilt at the Nullarbor next April.
“His immediate aim the $50,000 August Cup next Friday week,” he said.
Magnificent Storm has now earned $1,166,935 from 38 wins and 12 placings from 63 starts.