Aptly-named mare Hellofastorm surprised the stable when she powered to a first-up maiden win at Geelong on Friday.
Trainer Jamie Edwards said it was unexpected bonus for the daughter of Puissance de Lune to win the Adam Bird Electrics Maiden (1230m) at $15 after unraced odds-on favourite Wolf Club dominated betting.
“I thought we were probably going around for second as I didn’t think we were as good as the favourite, but she has run right up to what we hoped she could do,” Jamie said.
Hellofastorm has been an incredibly difficult horse to handle and even on race morning she got loose at Emsley Lodge when being led off the walker.
“You train a lot of horses, and a few are really, really difficult and she is one of them,” Jamie said.
“I can’t credit our breaker Brad Pearson enough as he did a great job with her.
“She’s not an easy horse to ride and so it’s a tribute to our work riders at home.”
Jamie said Hellofastorm, who is known as Sparkles because of the silver sheen on her coat, had improved a lot this preparation and had lost the “little choppy, crappy stride” she had in her first race campaign which included two unplaced runs.
“She is more athletic this campaign and everything is coming together,” Jamie said.
“Today she was good through the line, and she is going to get over further.”
Jockey Liam Riordan said he also feared the Freedman-trained $1.40 favourite, but a challenge never eventuated.
“The only thing I was worried about was the rap on the Freedy horse and it going past me late,” Liam said.
He said Hellofastorm had an easy time settling outside the leader Dougie’s Dream ($26) and was too strong in the home straight scoring by nearly a length with another length back to Wolf Club in third place.
“She is still a bit new and was a bit fierce in the run being fresh, but she gave a good kick and should get a bit further,” Liam said.