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  • Friday, 22 Jan, 2021,
  • by Peter Quilty

Pyrocumulus on ‘cloud nine’ in Mepunga Oaks

Rising star Pyrocumulus reached a career ‘cloud nine’, rocketing into the stratosphere in the Mepunga Oaks (450m) at Warrnambool last night.

Trained by Ashlee Terry, Pyrocumulus posted a scintillating 24.84sec win – two lengths off the 24.72sec track record, set by Unlawful Entry on April 27, 2016.

Boxing brilliantly from the ‘green’ trap, Pyrocumulus ($5.10) turned the $7500-to-the-winner event into a one-act affair defeating rank outsider Deep Dive ($30.40) by 6.4L, with Quintana Bale ($3.30F) a further 0.18L away third.

It was her ninth win from 28 starts – including four of her past six – and her prizemoney lifted to $31,360.

Ashlee and her partner, Nathan Rooney, also collected a $1000 VicGreys bonus and a free ‘straw’ to stud dogs Mepunga Blazer and Mepunga Cruzer.

Based at Nilma North, Ashlee – who is expecting her first child in a few weeks – issued some prophetic words leading into the final, saying: “I’m happy she’s drawn out wide (Box 6) – she likes to use the track.”

Pyrocumulus (Sep ’18 El Grand Senor x Maja Mahi Mahi) is Group 1 bred on both lines of her pedigree. In fact, her dam is Ashlee’s first, and only, G1 winner.

A self-confessed fanatical Collingwood supporter, Ashlee’s ‘pet sobriquet’ for Pyrocumulus is “Jordan” – named after Magpies megastar Jordan De Goey.

WATCH: Pyrocumulus (6) clocks a sizzling 24.84sec win in the Mepunga Oaks at Warrnambool last night.

Peter QuiltyPeter Quilty

Peter Quilty

Peter Quilty has more than three decades of experience as assistant editor of Victorian Greyhound Weekly. He was editor of GRV monthly magazine The Adviser (2001-09) and owner/publisher of Australian Greyhound Monthly. He also served on the selection panel for the inaugural GRV ‘Hall of Fame’ inductees and for several years was an adjudicator on the Victorian GOTY. He’s also published greyhound racing yearbooks and wrote the ‘Bold Trease’ video script.

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