Fine win to Stormy Morn

Press, 14 November 1981, Page 24

Fine win to Stormy Morn

By

G.K. YULE

Stormy Morn became one ef the early favourites for the $40,000 Dominion Handicap next Saturday when he overcame a rocky run to win the New Zealand Trotting Free-For-All at Addington Raceway yesterday. Tony Perucich was forced wide for practically the whole race. He moved up to within a length of the pacemaker, Special Pride, with about 1600 m left and looked to be under great pressure early in the run home.

However, Stormy Morn responded in the gamest possible manner and won well by a length and a quarter after creating a new mobilestart record time of 3min 21.3 s for the 2600 m. The previous best was 3min 21.9 s by No Response, although Scotch Tar holds the national record of 3min 21.1 s from a standing start. Stormy Morn, trained at Pukekohe by Perucich is owned by Mr Peter Moore, of Marshland.

Sure Mart, winner of the race 12 months ago, was pushed towards the tail of the field at the 600 km and put in a determined run to cut Special Pride out of second in the last few strides. Kenwood Song, in tight quarters in the home straight was right up fourth, ahead of Prince Del and About Now. Sir Castleton, well back until late, looked a danger 150 m out, but he could not sustain his run and finished eighth.