The two Ms do battle in WA

By Adam Hamilton 

Last week at Cambridge it was the Leap To Fame/Swayzee rivalry, but this week it’s all about Magnificent Storm and Minstrel locking hooves again in Friday night’s $1.25 million Group 1 Nullarbor at Gloucester Park.

The seemingly ageless pair of Kiwi-bred nine-year-old stars have clashed 20 times across six years and are still the two standout pacers in WA.

Both would still be in the top six or seven in Australasia at their best.

Yet again they headline another feature race and the barrier draw says they will fight it out again with Magnificent Storm a slight $2.60 favourite from gate four and Minstrel at $2.80 from five.

“It looks like Magnificent Storm will be in front with us (Minstrel) outside him and they’ll trade blows from a long way out and see what happens,” Minstrel’s co-trainer Greg Bond said.

“We’ve deliberately spaced his runs in recent years and we’re very happy with him. His last serious workout at home was as good as he’s ever worked.”

It was way back on January 15, 2021 when they clashed for the first time in the Group 1 4YO Championship at Gloucester Park.

Magnificent Storm won with Minstrel second, but Minstrel reversed the result just a few weeks later at their second clash in Group 1 Golden Nugget.

Their enduring rivalry has been close with Magnificent Storm holding an 11-9 lead.

But Team Minstrel would rightly argue they’ve won the races that matter, including that Golden Nugget, the 2022 Group 1 Fremantle Cup and last year’s 2025 Group 1 WA Pacing Cup.

Magnificent Storm did beat Minstrel (third) when he won the 2023 WA Cup.

Minstrel also won the 2024 WA Pacing Cup, but Magnificent Storm missed that race.

Between them, they have won 79 races and over $3.5 million.

Remarkably, neither pacer has been able to win the Nullarbor in its three-year history.

Magnificent Storm was favourite when a desperately unlucky seventh in 2023 and injury or illness has kept him out since.

Minstrel has gone much closer. He ran a mighty third from a wide draw in 2024 and then second as favourite when he led and copped pressure from champion stayer Swayzee last year.

Magnificent Storm’s driver Aiden De Campo was thrilled with drawing inside Minstrel this time.

“That’s the main thing we wanted,” he said. “This the best draw he’s had in a big race for a long time.”

Interstate raiders Betterzippit (2023) and Catch A Wave (2024) won the first two Nullarbors before Mister Smartee became the first local winner last year.

The three interstate raiders had mixed luck with 11-year-old Victorian marvel Bulletproof Boy out wide (gate eight), while NSW pair Max Delight (three) and Ubetcha Tigerpie as the lone back row runner from gate 10 fared better.