The much anticipated debut of talented Justify (USA) colt Storm Boy at Rosehill on Saturday produced the desired result when the powerhouse bay jumped straight to the front and kept going.
Tim Clark had an easy steer, guiding the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott trained colt to an easy two and a half length win in the 1100m scamper to keep his record perfect with two trial wins preceding his first race day outing.
Storm Boy was professional in the yard and on the track with the $3million Magic Millions 2YO Classic in January his immediate target.
“He got to the front relatively easily and was in cruise control from there,” said Adrian Bott.
“He settled well and found a good rhythm, travelling at a good speed, but comfortable doing it and that’s what’s going to separate him at the moment, that good sustained speed and he’s able to quicken nicely off that as we saw.
“For his first time at the races today I thought it was very encouraging.”
Storm Boy is likely to have another run at the end of the month to set him up for the Gold Coast on January 13.
“He’ll need that run to condition him for that race, but it will also set him up nicely for the autumn and that’s when you will see a very serious horse,” Bott said.
A $460,000 Magic Millions purchase for Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott Racing/Kestrel Thoroughbreds from the Coolmore draft as agent for Morning Rise Stud, Storm Boy runs for a big ownership group headed by Cummingham Thoroughbreds.
He is the first foal from Pelican, a metro juvenile winner by champion sire Fastnet Rock from NZ Horse of the Year and seven time Group I winner Seachange.
Coolmore as agent for Morning Rise will offer the second foal from Pelican, a colt by Pierro, as Lot 33 at Magic Millions and the mare has foaled again this spring producing a filly by St Mark’s Basilica (FR).
A look through Breednet’s family search feature reveals four yearlings from the Seachange family for upcoming sales, click to see them.
The Justify x Fastnet Rock nick is looming as one of serious potential with 12 winners from 14 runners, so 85.7% winner to runner and three stakes-winners – Learning to Fly, Star of Justice, Just Steel - at 21% SW to runner.
Justify has nine entries for Magic Millions and one of them is from a daughter of Fastnet Rock with the Coolmore consigned Lot 508 a colt from Fastnet Rock mare Casuarina Forest. He is a half-brother to Group III placed Fox Cleopatra and his dam is a full sister to Group I winning sire Foxwedge.
