Blue Storm© Photo Healy Racing
Gemma Tutty is set to saddle her first Royal Ascot runner as Blue Storm takes aim at the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes.
The Blue Point colt, who is out of a Listed winner in Riskit Fora Biskit, booked his ticket to the meeting when landing the 3YO “Dash” Handicap at Epsom on Derby Day.
An 8-1 chance under Rossa Ryan for that five-furlong event, the three-year-old did not look competitively placed in the early stages of the race but managed to weave his way through the field to hit the front in the final furlong and score by three-quarters of a length.
Blue Storm was Tutty’s first ever runner at the track, with Mostly Cloudy also having given her an Ascot win when saddling a contender there for the first time too.
Now she will experience another ‘first’ in her career when her stable will be represented at Royal Ascot.
“He’s come out of it no problem at all, we just need to wrap him in cotton wool between now and Ascot!” the trainer said.
“Rossa gave him a fantastic ride, it was lovely to see him go and do that and it’s very exciting to be going to Ascot on the back of a good win.
“We were going to campaign him through the winter, but he went up to a mark of 88 and there just wasn’t a race for him and we’d missed the boat to take him abroad.
“He has come back in the same vein of form that he was in in December, Chester didn’t work out for us but he had a bit of a blow that day and we knew he’d be absolutely spot on going into Epsom, as long as he could handle the track.
“We hoped he would, he’s a very fast horse and we were hoping we could settle him down the hill but you don’t know until you get there, it’s a funny track but given how well he handled it, you’d think he’ be OK to run anywhere other than a very stiff track as I don’t think he quite sees out a stiff five (furlongs).
“I just hope the rising ground doesn’t test his stamina too much, that’s my only reservation. It should be a really strong gallop for him and hopefully he can come with a late run again.”
Blue Storm will be Tutty’s only Ascot entrant and will carry the silks of David Lowe, a prolific owner of sprinters who has campaigned the likes of Kachy and Sparks Fly.
“We thought we might have a few this year but through various trials and tribulations we’ve ended up with just him, but at least we’re going there with a good one,” she added.
“It’s wonderful to have a good horse for Dave, it was a real compliment that he took a chance on me in my first season and it would be lovely to reward him for that.”
