Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
With a host of high-profile Australian stud farms vying to purchase gun colt Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) as a future stallion, it has been widely reported that Coolmore looks set to win the day, and confirmation of a deal could be announced as soon as Thursday.
It is understood that Coolmore is in the box seat to land the unbeaten 2-year-old for a valuation of around $22.5 million, with 75 per cent reportedly acquired at this stage. Purchase ‘kickers’ are likely to more than double that valuation, should he go on to win the G1 Golden Slipper S. in March, for which he is currently the dominant favourite, while if he was to complete the Sydney Triple Crown (G1 Golden Slipper S., G1 ATC Sires’ Produce S. and G1 Champagne S.), that figure will escalate further.
It’s hardly surprising that Coolmore - a global breeding giant and expert in the shuttling of stallions - is determined to add Storm Boy - a winner of the G3 BJ McLachlan S. and R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic - to its roster. Coolmore reportedly paid US$75 million (AU$100 million at the time) for Storm Boy’s sire, the unbeaten Justify (USA). A US Triple Crown hero, Justify is a son of the multiple Grade 1 winner Scat Daddy (USA). Coolmore associate Michael Tabor bought an interest in Scat Daddy following his victory in the 2006 G2 Sanford S. and he stood at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky. He was also slated to shuttle to Coolmore Australia in 2008, before a change of plan ended up with him in South America instead.
Justify (USA) | Standing at Coolmore
Justify has made a huge impact in his fledgling career at stud, in both hemispheres, siring six top-tier winners, including the ultra-impressive City Of Troy (USA), and 25 stakes scorers.
Furthermore, Storm Boy colt is out of Pelican (NZ) and she herself is by Fastnet Rock, one of Coolmore’s great stallions. Fastnet Rock himself reverse shuttled with great success to Coolmore in Ireland, with his last overseas trip in 2021.
Ex-pat Australian Byron Rogers, who is the managing partner at Performance Genetics LLC in Kentucky and has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the bloodstock space, told The Thoroughbred Report Storm Boy ticks a lot of Coolmore’s boxes.
Byron Rogers | Image courtesy of Performance Genetics LLC
“Coolmore have really shown that when they get a stallion they really believe in, they go about securing the best sons of them to solidify the reputation of the stallion,” Rogers said.
“Coolmore have really shown that when they get a stallion they really believe in, they go about securing the best sons of them to solidify the reputation of the stallion.” - Byron Rogers
“With a horse like Justify, they’re following the path that they’d been down with Sadler’s Wells, Galileo, Danehill and other stallions that have proven themselves to be outstanding stallions. That’s the playbook that Coolmore uses and it’s proven to be very successful for them.
“Coolmore have got the outstanding City Of Troy in Europe and he is by Justify out of a Galileo mare. Being out of a Galileo mare, it may somewhat limit the mares that can be bred to City Of Troy when he retires to stud. Coolmore right now will be sending a lot of mares by Galileo and Fastnet Rock to Justify in the Northern Hemisphere, so you’d think that if Storm Boy was able to go on and do what he looks like he’s capable of doing, there’s no reason why he couldn’t go up to Europe and serve a lot of Galileo and Sadler’s Wells-line mares up there and inject that bit of speed that they seem to enjoy.
“If Storm Boy does go to the North, Coolmore will give him every chance to succeed.”
“If Storm Boy does go to the North, Coolmore will give him every chance to succeed.” - Byron Rogers
Storm Boy’s pedigree is nothing to be sneezed at. Pelican is a half-sister to the three-time winner and Group 3 placegetter Divan (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}), while the colt’s second dam, Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}), was a superstar, notching 14 wins, half of them in Group 1 company. She was named New Zealand Horse of the Year in 2006/07 and 2007/08 and Champion Sprinter in New Zealand in 2007/08. Seachange is closely related to the stakes winners Keepa Cruisin (NZ) (Keeper) and Espresso Martini (NZ) (High Chaparral {Ire}), among others.
“Seachange was a great mare and his pedigree is certainly not going to be something to put people off, and when they see him physically, I’m sure they will like what they see,” Rogers commented.
“Seachange was a great mare and his (Storm Boy’s) pedigree is certainly not going to be something to put people off, and when they see him physically, I’m sure they will like what they see.” - Byron Rogers
Full circle
Assuming Storm Boy does end up at Coolmore, he will be returning home in a sense. The colt was bred by Rob and Barbara McClure’s Morning Rise Stud, along with Coolmore partners. Storm Boy was foaled and raised at Coolmore, before it consigned the colt at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. There, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds bought him for $460,000.
Storm Boy as a yearling | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“He is a magnificent physical, Storm Boy, you’re not going to get much of a better sort. I was only looking at him at Randwick the other day and he is literally everything you look for physically. And on the racetrack, he’s got that great action about him, he looks like he’ll see 1400 metres, he might even get a mile as he gets a bit older.
“He’s an exciting horse physically and the guys that do the ratings say the numbers he’s generating really stack up to being an exceptional performer.
“He’s (Storm Boy) an exciting horse physically and the guys that do the ratings say the numbers he’s generating really stack up to being an exceptional performer.” - Byron Rogers
“You get those sorts of horses that can race on speed and be able to put a race away with such authority… personally, I really do like stallion prospects that could do that, they race on speed then sustain pressure and sustain speed; you need to be very efficient to be able to do that in terms of your biomechanics and your cardiovascular efficiency, and I think that’s a really important trait for stallions to have.”
A job to be done on the track
Before he heads to the covering shed, connections of Storm Boy have lofty targets for the boom colt. While an autumn campaign is yet to be finalised, Storm Boy is every chance to follow the same path as Waterhouse’s 2004 Triple Crown champion Dance Hero (Danzero). That would see Storm Boy contest the G2 Skyline S. at Randwick on March 2, before contesting the Slipper at Rosehill on March 23.
“We’re yet to set a race for Storm Boy but he’s likely just to have the one run into the Slipper and then through to the Triple Crown,” Bott said recently.
Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
“The most likely race for Storm Boy is the Skyline, three weeks into the Golden Slipper, a bit like his Magic Millions lead-up.
“It’s the Dance Hero program.
“Gai went back to the last time we did this… the dates might be a bit different but it works out well.”
