Stormalong and John Gleeson © Photo Healy Racing
Stormalong was a 33/1 winner of the four-year-old fillies bumper at Cork in the hands of 7lb claimer John Gleeson.
The daughter of September Storm, fitted with a tongue-tie for this debut, battled for supremacy with the well-fancied Gaoth Chuil from two furlongs out before forging clear for a length and a quarter victory. Ah Fuhgeddaboudit was a further three lengths back in third.
Tallow trainer Ken Budds has been having a good run recently and explained that his charge, despite her SP, was not unfancied.
"She is very well related (half-sister to smart chaser The Last Samuri) and we were going to point-to-point her but I started to get stuck into her three weeks ago and thought this mare isn't too bad. I spoke to Eddie (Coleman, owner/breeder) a fortnight ago and said this mare isn't too bad, so I said instead of running the risk in a point-to-point we decided to come here.
"I quietly fancied her and have plenty to collect!
"I don't know if she is for sale, but she has loads of jumping done and has jumped a fence. She will be a real staying mare and ground isn't an issue - it was safe ground today."
Quotes from Tom Weekes
