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By Tony Megahey

Racing folk who know him best were convinced Tim McIntosh would make a natural progression from successful jockey to racehorse trainer with The Storm in Me appealing as his fourth TAB Highway winner in Saturday’s Kembla $100,000 Class 2, 1400m, transferred from Rosehill Gardens.

“Tim’s my nephew, works hard and understands them, rides his own work; he was always going to be as good a trainer as he was a jockey - rode a lot of winners,” offered Hunter training great Pat Farrell.

The Storm in Me (Christian Reith) bolts in at Muswellbrook. Image by Bradley Photographers

“Tim’s filly looked pretty smart winning a couple at Muswellbrook, beat one of mine, he’d wouldn’t be bringing her to town against older and experienced horses if he didn’t think she was up to it.”

The Storm in Me (opened $15 on TAB and is now $6.50) carries 54.5kg for Tim Clark off a dominant recent Muswellbrook BM66 1280m win - significantly at $2.10 - and for Saturday the vital prerequisite is heavy form.

Previously she won on a Heavy 9.

Already a scratching is topweight Arnaqueur who contested top two-year-old races.

The Storm in Me handles all conditions but relishes heavy: “She’s a really progressive filly, won on a bog at home and then on firm, I ride her work, she handles any going,” said Muswellbrook-based McIntosh.

“She’s got the ideal balance already, she settles nicely, turn of foot and she can close off.”

And from 1000m and 1200m form in the Hunter, out to 1400m on the big straight doesn’t faze Tim.

“When Christian (Reith) won on her, he said she’d get further no problem and that's when I planned for this race. We’re well in off a BM 66 where she can put them away. She’s progressed every start.”

Tim, who rode 74 winners at a productive 11% strike rate before switching to training, won successive Highways with Star Shaft and another with Absolute Trust.

Like many participants, McIntosh won’t be trackside because of the restrictions.

“She’ll be staying with her strapper at Damien Lane’s at Wyong and coming down on raceday on Kim Waugh’s truck.”

The Storm in Me is prominent in betting behind prolific series winner Terry Robinson’s Danzadel ($4.60 favourite).

View the final fields with full form & race replays for Kembla Grange here