Stormy Weather hero of the John Smith's Scottish County Hurdle at Musselburgh
The six-year-old speedy colt, Stormy Weather, muscled his way to a classy win in the John Smith's Scottish County Hurdle, taken place at Musselburgh on Saturday, February 11, 2012.
It was a delightful outcome for the followers of Pricewise, as Tom Segal had already termed the six-year-old as favourite for the exciting event.
Brian Ellison’s trainee started off the party with the winning chances of 13 to 2. After a steady run early on, the rampant horse perked up his speed to gain a decent advantage.
Under jockey, Denis O'Regan, he retained his lead till the finishing line, winning the contest by a length’s margin. The French colt was powerfully pursued by, Ubi Ace –with the starting price of 9 to 2.
The six-year-old chased the leader throughout, but could not deliver what was required to surpass the champion. Consequently, he fell one length adrift of Stormy Weather.
Ubi Ace’s second position was also a good result for Pricewise’s followers, as Tim Walford’s horse was recommended by Tom Segal – widely known as the tipping genius.
According to plan, Stormy Weather’s next outing is going to be on Thursday, when he will be seen in action in the Scottish Racing Your Best Bet Handicap Hurdle at the same venue.
However, Ellison’s primary objective is to book Stormy Weather’s berth in next month’s Cheltenham Festival. He admitted that despite his brilliant performance last weekend, Stormy Weather’s entry in the upcoming extravaganza is in danger.
Ellison added: "I thought it might be a bit sharp for him round here and I was hoping he'd get there. I think he will go for the County Hurdle but he might not get in so I may have to run him again, which is something I wouldn't want to do."
While, Stormy Weather, and Ubi Ace, secured top two slots, respectively, another Ellison-trained, Dontpaytheferryman, succeeded in grabbing third place.
The American horse managed to get an early lead, but gave away his advantage almost immediately. However, the seven-year-old kept the leading duo under pressure by constantly challenging their dominance.
Ellison would have been a happy man, as his trainees, Stormy Weather, and Dontpaytheferryman, grabbed two out of the top three positions.
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