Cover image courtesy of Magic Millions
Confirmed after speculation last month, outstanding 2-year-old Storm Boy (Justify {USA}) has been purchased by Coolmore for an undisclosed sum and will remain in training with Tulloch Lodge trainers Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Storm Boy has developed a huge reputation during his fledgling career, posting three wins from as many starts, and he is all the rage for the world’s richest race for juveniles, the March 23 G1 Golden Slipper S., which Coolmore won last year with Shinzo (Snitzel).
Following two impressive trial victories, Storm Boy saluted by 2.28l on debut at Rosehill in early December, before scoring a 2.4l triumph in the G3 BJ McLachlan S. at Eagle Farm three weeks later. The colt was sent out a warm favourite for the R. Listed Magic Millions 2YO Classic at the Gold Coast on January 13, and, after a sluggish getaway and doing some work early, he dashed away from his rivals to notch a stunning 2.5l victory.
Storm Boy | Image courtesy of Ashlea Brennan
Storm Boy clocked 1:08.00 for the 1200-metre Millions journey, which was quicker than the time the 5-year-old, Group 3-winning sprinter King Of Sparta (I Am Invincible) ran in winning the Magic Millions Snippets on the same program.
Coolmore Australia boss Tom Magnier said the acquisition of the exceptional colt is a huge coup.
“We are extremely excited to secure Storm Boy with a great group of clients and friends from all over the world. His performance in the Magic Millions had to be seen to be believed. He had to do the work at both ends and broke his opponents’ hearts in a similar way to what Justify himself did in his own racing career,” Magnier said.
“We are extremely excited to secure Storm Boy with a great group of clients and friends from all over the world.” - Tom Magnier
“We have had a close eye on this colt since his first trial and he has raised the bar each time he has been seen in public.”
Not only is Storm Boy a top-quality racehorse, he boasts a stallion’s pedigree.
Tom Magnier | Image courtesy of Magic Millions
The colt is by Coolmore’s shuttle star Justify, who has 39 stakes wins and six Group 1s to his credit. Justify himself is by the multiple Grade 1 hero Scat Daddy (USA) - a sire of 31 individual top-flight winners. Coolmore associate Michael Tabor bought an interest in Scat Daddy after his success in the 2006 G2 Sanford S. and he stood at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in Kentucky.
Storm Boy is out of Pelican (NZ) a two-time winner and two. She is a daughter of Fastnet Rock. He is one of Coolmore’s all-time great stallions with 43 elite-company victories on his CV.
Pelican is a half-sister to the three-time scorer and Group 3 placegetter Divan (NZ) (Zabeel {NZ}). The colt’s grandam, Seachange (NZ) (Cape Cross {Ire}), was a superstar, chalking up 14 wins, half of them at the top level. She earned the titles of New Zealand Horse of the Year in 2006/07 and 2007/08 and Champion Sprinter in New Zealand in 2007/08.
Justify (USA) | Standing at Coolmore
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, recently told The Thoroughbred Report Storm Boy was an obvious target for Coolmore.
“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.
“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.”
Byron Rogers
Coolmore reportedly paid US$75 million (AU$100 million at the time) for Justify - the unbeaten, US Triple Crown hero.
Justify is the sire of Northern Hemisphere-based topliners such as City Of Troy (USA), Opera Singer (USA), Ramatuelle (USA) and Just F Y I (USA), while in the Southern Hemisphere, his stakes winners, other than Storm Boy, include Learning to Fly, Legacies and Air Assault.
“Storm Boy being by Justify is obviously a huge positive for us, as we are of the firm belief that what Justify is currently doing as a sire is only the tip of the iceberg for him,” said Magnier.
“Storm Boy being by Justify is obviously a huge positive for us, as we are of the firm belief that what Justify is currently doing as a sire is only the tip of the iceberg for him.” - Tom Magnier
“Through the likes of City Of Troy, Opera Singer and Ramatuelle in Europe, Just F Y I and Hard To Justify in America, and now Storm Boy in Australia, he is quite clearly the best sire of 2-year-olds in the world.”
Returning home
Storm Boy was bred by Rob and Barbara McClure’s Morning Rise Stud, along with Coolmore partners. He was foaled and raised at Coolmore, before it offered the colt at the 2023 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale. The colt was knocked down to Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $460,000.
“We want to be involved in Justify’s best sons globally, but given that Storm Boy was raised and grazed at Coolmore makes him even more special for us to be part of,” Magnier commented.
“We want to be involved in Justify’s best sons globally, but given that Storm Boy was raised and grazed at Coolmore makes him even more special for us to be part of.” - Tom Magnier
“We must congratulate Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott for producing yet another exceptional colt.
“It is also a wonderful achievement for the McClure family with whom we bred Storm Boy in partnership with and for the Cunningham family and all the other owners who have shared in his ownership.”
