After two encouraging barrier trials, the Justify (USA) colt Storm Boy makes his highly anticipated debut in Saturday's Kia Ora Prague Hcp (1100m) at Rosehill Gardens.
Trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, Storm Boy will be on trial for the $3,000,000 Magic Millions 2yo Classic at the Gold Coast in January following his purchase by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds for $460,000 from the Coolmore Stud draft at the Gold Coast earlier this year.
The bold-striding son of Justify (USA) is the first foal of the Fastnet Rock mare Pelican.
A $450,000 Kraka yearling, Pelican looked quite promising early on, winning two of her first three starts at Morphettville and Moonee Valley and was sixth in the Group II Blue Diamond Prelude behind the subsequent Group 1 Blue Diamond Stakes winner, Lyre.
Pelican lost all form at three and a second at Murray Bridge, the highlight of six further starts.
Pelican is a daughter of racing royalty, the NZ Horse of the Year in 2006-07 and 2007-08, Seachange.
Dick Karreman's champion daughter of Cape Cross (IRE) numbered seven Group 1s among her 16 wins.
An infrequent visitor to Australia, Seachange won the Group III Mannerism Stakes at Caulfield and was runner-up in the Group 1 Myer Classic and Group 1 Futurity stakes separating Aqua d'Amore and El Segundo.
Seachange and the champion Hong Kong Miler, Able One, were the catalysts for Darley Stud to stand Cape Cross in the Hunter Valley after four seasons at Cambridge Stud.
The son of Danzig left a tremendous legacy in both hemispheres through the likes of Sea The Stars, Golden Horn, and Ouija Board.
He had five Group 1 winners and 15 stakes-winners from about 300 foals from his time in NZ and did not sire a stakes-winner from the 140 foals he left in two seasons in Australia. Make of that what you will.
Seachange is not the only Group 1 winner from the Broad Reach mare Just Cruising.
Her half-sister Keepa Cruisin (Keeper) won the Group 1 LevRC Levin Classic, and her brother Korau Road finished second in the Group 1 Easter Classic just ahead of La Sizeranne, who headed to Australia to claim the Winter Stakes at Eagle Farm.
Just Cruising is a sister to the Group II STC Pago Pago Stakes winner Yachtie, who became a more than useful sire in New Zealand, with his best being the remarkable Happyanunoit.
The winner of the Group 1 MwtuRC Manawatu Sires Produce Stakes at two for Michael Moroney, Happyanunoit was exported to the United States where she won the Matriarch Stakes, Beverly Hills Handicap and Gamely Breeders' Cup Handicap, all at the elite level for Bobby Frankel.
Seachange had seven foals before she was pensioned after missing to Almanzor last spring.
She did not set the world on fire at Stud, her best of four winners from six starters being the Group III Bendigo Cup runner-up Devan (Zabeel).
She has four daughters to continue the legacy, and Pelican can start the right way with Storm Boy on Saturday.
Coolmore will offer a Pierro colt from Pelican at the Magic Millions in January (lot 33).
At Karaka, Hallmark Stud consigns a Bivouac colt out of the stakes-winning High Chaparral mare Espresso Martini, a daughter of Seachange's Group 1 winning half-sister Keepa Cruisin (lot 49), and The Oaks Stud offers a Darci Brahma colt out of Keepa Cruisin's stakes-winning granddaughter Seven Seas (lot 386).
