Frank Leighton

Forestry graduate Jim Thornton saves a young woman, Joan Burbridge, from drowning at Palm Beach. He later turns up to work at her adopted father Stephen's timber company. Burbridge is secretly being undermined by his treacherous foreman Darley and competitor Charles Blake. Blake is also engaged to Joan despite sleeping with Darley's sister Claire. Thornton eventually exposes Darley and takes his job, and organises a timber drive.

Joan (Helen Twelvetrees) is a Canadian, adopted by Ma Dawson (Nellie Ferguson), a struggling horse breeder and trainer. Joan thinks "legs don't make a race horse, it's blood", and so she buys an unwanted thoroughbred colt called Stormalong. Helped by Ma's son Tommy Dawson (Frank Leighton), Joan restores the horse to health and fitness, and soon enough the horse is winning race after race, becoming a favourite for the Melbourne Cup.