Birthday celebrations Group 1 style

Star harness racing reinsman Aldo Cortopassi turned 46 on Thursday (Nov. 10) and he celebrated the occasion in fine style by notching his seventh Group 1 victory when he produced a wonderfully aggressive drive to guide up-and-coming superstar Magnificent Storm (American Ideal) to a glorious victory in the $100,000 Barbagallo James Brennan Memorial at Gloucester Park on Friday night (Nov. 11).

Adding to the joyous, uninhibited festivities of the band of owners was the happy occasion of the birthday of Dot Williams, wife of astute trainer Ray Williams, who produced Magnificent Storm in superb condition just a week after the five-year-old’s shock defeat when a fading fourth behind Patronus Star after overracing in a Free-For-All.

Magnificent Storm was the $1.80 favourite from barrier five in Friday night’s 2536m feature event in which To Fast To Serious ($7.50) and Hampton Banner ($9.50) were set on fire to the inside of Magnificent Storm as they battled for the early lead.

To Fast To Serious held out Hampton Banner, and Magnificent Storm was trapped out three wide in third place for most of the first lap before Cortopassi sent the gelding to the front after 700m and then was able to gain a much-needed breather with a sedate opening quarter of the final mile of 31.9sec.

Magnificent Storm was joined in the breeze in the middle stages by $12 chance Gambit, and after a second 400m section of 30.1sec. the favourite increased the tempo as he sped over the final 400m sections in 27.7sec. and 28sec. He won, racing away, by almost five lengths from $34 chance Wildwest, who ran home solidly from seventh (on the pegs) at the bell. Gambit held on to finish third, ahead of Patronus Star ($5) and $18 chance Diego, who surged home, out five wide, from last at the bell.

MAGNIFICENT STORM REPLAY

“It was the plan to come out hard and have a look (for the front),” said Cortopassi. “I expected that To Fast To Serious and Hampton Banner would have a little bit of a war, but I didn’t think that Magnificent Storm would be left out there (three wide) for so long.

“I contemplated restraining Magnificent Storm back to the rear but when I had a look to see how far away the back horses were, I decided against dragging back. I thought ‘no’ and it was time to put the accelerator down. We had committed ourselves this far, so we might as well go on with it.

“Magnificent Storm is a funny horse. When he’s on, he is really on. Last week, I don’t think he was a hundred per cent switched on in himself. He wanted to spin around (in the preliminary) and do a few things he doesn’t normally do.

“But tonight, as soon as we got on the track it was game on; he was switched on. When we went down the back in the last lap in 27.7sec. he was doing it on his own. I wasn’t asking for it; he was doing that on his own.

“Around the corner I saw Stewie’s horse (Gambit) dropping off, and I looked to my inside and saw Dylan (To Fast To Serious) was also dropping off. So, I lifted the reins, and he ran through the line strongly. He was the real horse tonight.

“When he can be that freewheeling type of horse, he is very good. This performance strengthened his claims in the in the big Cups (Fremantle Cup and WA Pacing Cup in January). He is one of the major players. But everything has to go right on the night.”

Magnificent Storm became only the third multiple winner in the 56-year history of the Brennan Memorial, following Village Kid and Shattering Class. For Cortopassi it was his third success in the event, following his win with Just Jasper in 2008 and Magnificent Storm in 2021.

Magnificent Storm, a New Zealand-bred gelding, now has had 36 starts for 26 wins, five placings and $560,067.

For complete race results, click here.

by Ken Casellas, for Gloucester Park