Lightly raced two-year-old Wyndstorm (NZ) (Wyndspelle) took a big step forward in the second start of his career on Saturday and beat a talented field in the Entain/NZB Insurance Pearl Series (1200m) at Ellerslie.
Bred and raced by Jen Campin Bloodstock, Wyndstorm has the pedigree to get better and better with age and maturity. His sire Wyndspelle won the Gr.1 Captain Cook Stakes (1600m) as a six-year-old, while the dam Brambling is by Redoute’s Choice out of the Gr.1 New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Bramble Rose (NZ) (Shinko King).
Wyndstorm made his debut at Waverley on March 6, where he raced greenly down the straight but still made up good ground for a third placing.
Significant improvement was expected at the second time of asking for Wyndstorm, who shortened from $16 into $7.80 in the TAB’s market. The Hollie Wynyard-trained runner did not disappoint.
Wyndstorm drew gate nine in a field of 11 and was caught three-wide around the first turn as he took up a handy position behind the front-running Heloisa (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) and Perfect Habit (NZ) (Tivaci).
Wyndstorm had his head to one side coming around the home turn but still warmed into his work stylishly and drew up alongside Heloisa at the top of the straight. That rival kicked again and made Wyndstorm work through the final 300m, but the big gelding slowly but surely pulled ahead. He went on to win by a neck, with the favourite Steezy (Russian Revolution) edging out Heloisa for second by a short neck.
“He’s a nice, big, lovely horse,” Elliot said. “He’s big and strong, but he’s still a big baby.
“He drew wide at Waverley, got back, then ducked in and did a lot wrong. But he still went to the line really strongly in that race, so coming into today, he was always going to do something.
“When I let him stride forward today, he did the rest. He’s such a big, strong horse and he just took me away from them.
“He’s still on the way up. He’s only going to learn from this and is going to get better.”
Wyndstorm’s two-start career has now produced a win, a placing and $27,540 in stakes.
His sire Wyndspelle was formerly a member of the Grangewilliam Stud stallion roster but now stands at Wyndholm Park Stud in Victoria. His oldest Australian progeny will be yearlings next season.
Wyndstorm became Wyndspelle’s third winner from only 11 runners, joining this season’s three-year-old fillies Wyndsong (NZ) (Wyndspelle) and Lucid Dream (NZ) (Wyndspelle). Wyndsong also finished fourth in the Gr.3 Sunline Vase (2100m) on Champions Day at Ellerslie last month.
