Gemma Tutty prepares to saddle her first Royal Ascot runner as Blue Storm targets the Palace of Holyroodhouse Stakes.
Blue Storm, a colt by Blue Point out of the Listed winner Riskit Fora Biskit, secured his spot at the event by winning the 3YO "Dash" Handicap at Epsom on Derby Day.
Starting as an 8-1 shot under jockey Rossa Ryan for the five-furlong race, the three-year-old initially appeared out of contention. However, he skillfully navigated through the field, leading in the final furlong to win by three-quarters of a length.
Blue Storm was Tutty’s first runner at Epsom, and Mostly Cloudy had previously given her a win at Ascot with her debut contender there.
Now, she will mark another milestone in her career as her stable is represented at Royal Ascot for the first time.
“He's come out of the race perfectly fine, so we just need to take extra care of him until Ascot,” the trainer said. “Rossa gave him a fantastic ride. It was wonderful to see him perform like that, and it's very exciting to head to Ascot with a good win behind us. We had planned to campaign him through the winter, but his rating rose to 88, and there just weren’t any suitable races for him, so we missed the chance to take him abroad. He has returned in the same great form he had in December. Chester didn't go our way, but he had a bit of a blow that day. We were confident he'd be in top shape for Epsom, provided he could handle the track.”