by Michael Howard
Queensland trainer Vicki Rasmussen sensed her boy had a second wind with a change of environment and now she’s the proud owner of a Moama Bowling Club Echuca Pacing Cup champion.
Stormfortheboys produced a stoic run from the front for driver Chris Alford and trainer Dean Braun, who the eight-year-old Famous Forever gelding has been with since the Queenslander was sent south in February.
Saturday night’s triumph in the Trots Country Cups Championship feature produced Stormfortheboys’ biggest career payday, the $30,000 Group 3 taking him to the cusp of a $200,000 stakes career.
“About 18 months ago I bought him and brought him up from New South Wales and he did a really good job up here but the competition got a bit too strong,” Rasmussen said.
“He was still a M0, so I sent him to Dean to see how he goes in Melbourne where there is more racing for his class.”
Five runs later Stormfortheboys is a M2, having followed a third placing in the Charlton Pacing Cup with a half-neck victory in the $16,000 Hyland Harness Colours Pace and then returned to the winners list on Saturday night at Echuca.
“I didn’t really expect him to come out and do what he’s done, I thought he might win his M0 or M1, but have left it up to Dean and he has done a super job,” Rasmussen said.
From gate five, Alford rolled Stormfortheboys forward and with two-and-a-half laps of Echuca’s circuit to run he rolled to the top ahead of Egodan.
There he would remain to the finish line, maintaining a taxing cruising pace with 29.8, 29.4 and 29.2 first, second and third quarters before finishing off in 28.6 to hold off the oncoming wall that featured Shakahari (second), Parramatta (third) and Four Ex Dan (fourth).
“He likes being in front and is really hard to get past once he gets there,” Rasmussen said.
“He always gives you a bit of a heart attack at the turn, but he’s very brave and a great trier.”
The result has Stormfortheboys on the cusp of the top 10 for the 2016-17 Trots Country Cups Championship, six points shy of stablemate and championship leader Im Corzin Terror with three cups remaining.
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