Litter Runt In Line For Laurels Final Berth

ASHLEE Terry's family couldn't believe she decided to pick the runt of a royally bred litter by El Grand Senor from Group 1 winner Maja Mahi Mahi.

But that decision could pay the ultimate of dividends with Pyrocumulus going into Sunday's heats of the Sandown Laurels as one of the hot chances for the series.

Terry won the Group 1 Sapphire Crown when training Maja Mahi Mahi and whelped her first litter, by El Grand Senor.

“The owners wanted to have their pick of the litter before I was to get my choice,” said Terry.

“But I'd asked if I could buy this bitch which was the runt of the litter and they let me do that.

“My family couldn't believe she was my pick because she had this tiny little head. In fact, her ears were bigger than her head!”

Pyrocumulus has raced 24 times for seven wins and 10 placings.

She is a lightning fast sprinter which made her Sandown Park debut at her latest outing on December 3 with a 29.45 win, leading throughout.

“She is a lot like her mother,” said Terry.

“They are both very quirky bitches. Their personalities are very much the same.”

While Pyrocumulus has been kept at sprints until her latest outing, Ashlee was always confident the bitch would manage 500m city racing.

“She is also like her mum in that they both like to race in the middle of the track,” she said.

“Pyrocumulus has never really railed in any of her starts so the middle draws are always going to suit her.”

The bitch has drawn box three in her heat on Sunday and Ashlee rates the rails runner, Angela Langton's It's My Party, and Rhonda Lily from Brooke Ennis' kennel which is drawn the six, as the hardest to beat.

“It is a very good race,” said Terry.

Despite showing so much early pace over sprints, Ashlee was always confident her bitch would get 500m.

“She, just like her mother, is a very clean winded bitch,” she said.

“Right from the time we started work on her, I was always confident she would run 500 metres. We've just taken our time.”

Maja Mahi Mahi has since whelped litters to Barcia Bale and Fernando Bale and is in the process of being inseminated to Barcia Bale again.

When she won the Sapphire Crown in 2016 she defeated household names Up Hill Jill and Striker Light.

And for reference, Pyrocumulus is a fire cloud.