Tag Archive for: Blue Storm

Tutty backing Blue Storm to make Bullet impact

Gemma Tutty is confident her gamble on sprint star Blue Storm will pay off when she attempts to land the William Hill Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes on Saturday.

The Blue Point colt has been on an upward trajectory this year, finishing fourth at Chester on his seasonal reappearance in May before taking the 3YO “Dash” Handicap honours at Epsom a month later.

He produced a career-best run at Royal Ascot in the Palace of Holyrood House Stakes, where Blue Storm missed the start and was short of room when battling with eventual winner Pilgrim to finish a half-length second.

The three-year-old has not been seen since those exploits, with Tutty admitting he is “a gallop short” in his preparations for the Listed contest on the Westwood, but she does anticipate another strong performance.

“He didn’t come out of Ascot very well, it took a lot more out of him than we realised it was going to,” Tutty said.

“It has been a bit of a battle to get him back to where we needed him, he’s probably going into this a gallop short but I’m hoping he gets away with it.

“He’s a seriously fast horse and he’s done a lot of base fitness, I just would have liked, ideally, to have got another fast piece into him.

“I’m happy enough to take his chance but given we have never run him on a stiff track like Beverley and he wasn’t seen to best effect at tracks like Hamilton before we got him, there’s a little bit of a question mark.

“But he’s drawn very well and at Ascot he handled the stiffer finish very well, so it’s worth a try anyway.”

Clarendon House wins the Lindum York Handicap
Connections of Clarendon House hope for improvements with a change of routine at Beverley (Mike Egerton/PA)

Robert Cowell’s Clarendon House is the only contender to have run at Beverley during his career, winning a three-horse contest in June 2022 before finishing a length and three-quarters behind Judicial three months later.

The six-year-old claimed a Listed triumph at Cork in June before coming home towards the rear of the field on his last two starts at York, latterly in the Group One Nunthorpe Stakes, which has resulted in a change of routine for the son of Mehmas.

“We’re going to go back to basics. He’s been going in with the hood and we’ve been whipping it off late. It worked in Ireland, but it didn’t work in the City Walls or the Nunthorpe,” said Tim Palin, racing manager for owners Middleham Park Racing.

“On Saturday, he’s going to go in naked, so to speak. We’ll strip back the headgear and go in as late as we can and see what happens.

“If he gets out of the right side of bed and jumps off on terms, he’s got a favourite’s chance I think.”

Commanche Falls heading up to the starting stalls in the Betfred Passionate About Sport Achilles Stakes at Haydock
Commanche Falls could be another Beverley Bullet Sprint Stakes winner for trainer Michael Dods (Richard Sellers/PA)

Democracy Dilemma provides another strong challenge for Cowell, with the four-year-old narrowly missing out at the Ebor Festival last week.

He made the running in the five-and-a-half-furlong Symphony Group Handicap before being usurped by Jm Jungle, Jordan Electrics and Looking For Lynda in the closing stages for a one-length fourth.

Michael Dods, who won this race with Dakota Gold in 2020, hopes a drop in trip for only the second time in his career can get Commanche Falls back in the winner’s enclosure.

Jamie Osborne’s Emaraaty Ana is the oldest horse of the seven runners in the contest, while Albasheer aims to return to form for Archie Watson.

Staincliff moves up to Listed level in a bid to complete a hat-trick for Jack Channon.



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Tutty hoping to take Royal Ascot by Storm

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).

The Betfred Derby Festival – Derby Day – Epsom Downs Racecourse
Blue Storm winning at Epsom (Steven Paston/PA)

“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.”



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Blue Storm rolls in for National Stakes assignment

All eyes will be on Blue Storm as James Tate’s two-year-old takes his chance in the Racehorse Lotto National Stakes at Sandown on Thursday.

It looks a red-hot renewal of the Listed five-furlong sprint, but Blue Storm is just one of an array of precocious youngsters to emerge from the first crop of former sprint king Blue Point.

The form of the colt’s Newmarket debut has been franked at all angles in the subsequent weeks, with the second, third, fourth and fifth all winning in style on their next starts.

And although buoyed by those results and excited to see his charge line up at the Esher track, Tate is refusing to get too carried away having seen the National Stakes scupper dreams in the past.

He said: “We were very impressed with him first time and the form couldn’t have worked out any better. He’s been impressing at home and it’s all positives really.

“Having said that I’ve ran horses in the National Stakes a few times and on paper it looks a strong renewal, so it’s a good job we’re bringing what we think is a good horse in to it.

“We’re happy with our horse and looking forward to Thursday night.”

Hugo Palmer won this two years ago and this time saddles Hackman, who was third behind Blue Storm at Newmarket but now reopposes having advertised his speed to win impressively at Chester, while Charlie Appleby’s On Point is another of Blue Point’s progeny arriving at Sandown having won on the Rowley Mile first time out.

On Point and William Buick (left) coming home to win the Howden British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket
On Point and William Buick (left) coming home to win the Howden British EBF Maiden Stakes at Newmarket (Nigel French/PA)

Richard Hannon may be a fair way off matching his father’s impressive haul in this race, but landed the spoils in both 2014 and 2015 and has two worthy contenders once again in Dapper Valley and Love Billy Boy.

The form of Dapper Valley’s soft-ground Newbury win has a solid look to it, while the latter ran on strongly to land the spoils at Musselburgh on debut.

“Obviously we have two very nice horses who both won on their debuts and naturally they will come on a lot for their first runs,” said Hannon.

“I think fast ground will be more to Dapper Valley’s liking.

“Love Billy Boy has a lot of speed and won over a sharp five up north. It’s a very lucky race for David Sullivan (part owner), who has won it a couple of times, and they are keen to take their chance.

Dapper Valley was impressive on debut
Dapper Valley was impressive on debut (PA)

“It’s an extremely hot renewal and whatever wins it will be probably amongst the favourites for Royal Ascot if they go.”

Ralph Beckett’s Matters Most finished third to Dapper Valley at Newbury, but the son of Advertise – who cost 500,000 as a yearling – built on that racecourse bow to get off the mark at Salisbury last time and could have plenty more to offer.

“He’s in good shape, we’re looking forward to it and we’ll find out how good he is on Thursday night,” said Beckett.

Irish interest is provided by Tipperary scorer Son Of Corballis, with handler Kieran Cotter keen to get extra experience into the Raven’s Pass colt before a potential Royal Ascot tilt.

“There are limited opportunities for him here in Ireland over five furlongs and we just thought to give him this prep run before Royal Ascot,” said Cotter.

“The plan is to go for the Norfolk with him and we like him a lot, but we just need to get more of a line on him really and I suppose we’ll know more after Thursday.

“We think he’s smart and we’re confident enough to bring him over. He has a good temperament and is a smart sort, but we haven’t had that proper line on him just yet.”

Karl Burke is another handler saddling two runners and both Doncaster scorer Elite Status and Pontefract winner World Of Darcy created taking impressions, while Alice Haynes’ Shayekh completes a strong field of 10 going to post.



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Tate eyeing Royal Ascot for juvenile pair

James Tate will run exciting colt Blue Storm in the National Stakes at Sandown on Thursday week as he winds up his team for Royal Ascot.

Blue Storm, a son of Darley’s first-season sire Blue Point, looked a smart prospect when beating six rivals on debut in a five-furlong novice at Newmarket last month.

Newmarket trainer Tate also unveiled another potentially decent sprinter in the shape of Natural Force, a son of Land Force, who won a similar event at Ascot under Neil Callan on Saturday.

Both colts look set for the Royal meeting next month.

Tate said: “We were absolutely delighted with Natural Force. Hopefully we will have a couple of nice two-year-olds to go to war with this year – him and Blue Storm.

“Blue Storm hasn’t run for a while. We have saved him for the National Stakes a week on Thursday and if we’re lucky enough for all to go well in that, we will be off to Ascot afterwards.

“Natural Force, when you obviously win first time at Ascot, your immediate thought would be Royal Ascot. He is all good and we will have a chat with owner Saeed Manana.

“The only question is really whether he wants to go straight there or whether he will wants to take on something in the middle. The timescale is getting a little bit tighter.”

Tate was pleased that Natural Force gained some course experience, which is likely to stand him in good stead should he return for the Royal meeting.

He added: “He took the whole prelims and things well, because obviously Royal Ascot is a very exciting place for a two-year-old and we’ve had more than one been over-faced by it in the past.

“Neil (Callan) said he was very professional and very easy, and won with a bit in hand, so let’s hope he is right.

“I would have thought he will stay at five (furlongs), with the Windsor Castle for him and the Norfolk for Blue Storm.”

Royal Aclaim worked well on Sunday ahead of a possible Haydock run
Royal Aclaim worked well on Sunday ahead of a possible Haydock run (Nigel French/PA)

Meanwhile, Royal Aclaim, who won the Listed City Walls Stakes at York before finishing sixth to Highfield Princess in the Group One Nunthorpe at the same venue last summer, could head make her return at Haydock in a fortnight’s time.

“She galloped on Sunday morning and all was good,” said Tate. “I would have thought she would end up at Haydock the weekend after next.

“There is a six-furlong fillies’ Listed race, the Cecil Frail, on the Friday and and a five-furlong Group Two on the Saturday, the Temple Stakes. All being well, we’d like to get her back in one of those two races.

“Obviously, that would fit nicely for Royal Ascot afterwards, if all went well. We would like to try her over six furlongs at some stage. Whether we do it before Ascot or after Ascot I don’t know.”



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