Ipswich Cup winner Autumn Storm is set to step up to long-distance racing for the first time in the April 5 heats of the group one Farrell's Association Cup after trialling well at Wentworth Park on Thursday night.
Trainer Tom Tzouvelis gave Autumn Storm her first look at the Cup venue in a 520m hit-out and she clocked a slick 29.89, just .10sec slower than Mr Peregrine's fastest time posted on Thursday's 12-race card.
"Her early sections were pretty steady but she ran home in 11.56 which I'm told was far and away the quickest figures recorded during Thursday's race meeting,'' Tzouvelis said.
"Autumn Storm broke Exploded's 660m track record when she won a heat of the The Clarence at Grafton before finishing second to Jeremiah Fire, again in record time, in the final."
"But she was ill the morning after The Clarence so I think maybe she was coming down with something on race night and wasn't quite at her best.
"Autumn Storm has not raced beyond 660m but while I don't think she will be a powerful 720m greyhound, she has good box manners and I think she has the makings of a good front-running stayer.''
Tzouvelis also drove from Brisbane to Sydney on Thursday to give his Ladbrokes Golden Easter Egg hope Daysea's Rory a look at Wentworth Park.
"Daysea's Rory had a post-to-post slip and clocked 23.89, running home in 11.50,'' Tzouvelis said.
"Leading Sydney trainer Mark Gatt caught him for me and reckoned I was entitled to be happy with that run as he estimated it was equivalent to figures of 29.60 for 520m."
Daysea's Rory
"Because of Cyclone Alfred Daysea's Rory has had an interrupted training schedule and when he went around on Thursday night he was having his first gallop in a fortnight.
"He finished third to Explicit in The Phoenix at The Meadows on December 21 so deserves a tilt at a race like the Easter Egg.''
Also trialling at Wentworth Park on Thursday night were Golden Easter Egg candidates Reality Best and Jayla Magic, who were handled by local trainers Mark Gatt and Jay Opetaia respectively.
Reality Best, who is trained in Victoria by Karen Pitt, posted sectionals of 5.61, 14.00, 18.73 and 11.73, railing well and covering the 520m in 29.90.
Reality Best can obviously improve on those figures as she has won over 515m at Melbourne's Sandown in a sizzling 29.08.
Jayla Magic, owned by Cowra breeder Pam Braddon, raced wide in her solo trial, clocking a disappointing 30.26 after recording splits of 5.59, 14.15, 18.33 and 11.93.
