Storm Boy where to now??

[Pete Lane]

From Racenet:

Coolmore is relying on the training genius of Aidan O'Brien to orchestrate the ultimate form reversal from crack colt Storm Boy at England's prestigious Royal Ascot carnival.

Storm Boy, formerly trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott, made his debut for the O'Brien stable earlier this month with an inglorious last of nine in the Greenlands Stakes at The Curragh.

The Storm Boy that ran in Ireland was nothing like the brilliant, at times dominating sprinter who won five of his nine starts in Australia including the Magic Millions, Skyline Stakes and San Domenico Stakes, earning more than $3.5m.

But Coolmore Australia's Tom Magnier said O'Brien is confident Storm Boy can bounce back at Royal Ascot.

"It didn't go to plan last start,'' Magnier said.

"But City Of Troy had a bad day in the Guineas first-up last year and Aidan was able to turn him around.

"I have every confidence Aidan will be able to get Storm Boy back on track for Royal Ascot.''

Magnier's mention of City Of Troy was a reference to how O'Brien prepared the colt for a stunning English Derby win last year after he had flopped in the 2000 Guineas at his previous start.

O'Brien achieved a similar result with Auguste Rodin in the Derby two years ago after that colt also came off a poor 2000 Guineas effort.

Storm Boy is not Derby-bound but he is being aimed at the prestigious Royal Ascot carnival later this month where he is likely to line up in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes (1200m) on June 21.

In early TAB betting on the Jubilee Stakes, the Jerome Reynier-trained Lazzat, runner-up in the Golden Eagle at Rosehill last spring, is the $4.50 favourite with Storm Boy out to $11.

O'Brien hasn't been discouraged by Storm Boy's shock showing at The Curragh and has been surprisingly upbeat when interviewed by Irish media.

"He had never been galloped or worked, but we had to run him to find out what else we had to work on between now and Ascot," O'Brien said.

"We learned that we have a good bit to work on, but I was very happy to do that.

"He was beaten less than six lengths and he got a bad enough check at the two (furlong) marker. You could take another two off that, so he probably would have been beaten less than four lengths.

"That was a very respectable run. I know everyone was disappointed, but we think we'll take him home now and we're going to train him.

"We haven't really trained him yet and hopefully what we think will come, will come."

Edited June 21 by scooby3051
Changed Title

[Pegasus 9]

I surely hope they can. Maybe even use J Mac who will be over there. 

[We're Doomed]

"He had never been galloped or worked." Is that a common approach going into a group race first up?

[Pete Lane]

14 minutes ago, We're Doomed said:

"He had never been galloped or worked." Is that a common approach going into a group race first up?

Yeah pretty strange statement to make.

[scooby3051]

I bet he never missed a gallop with Gai..and had many before any first up run.

[Leggy]

Suppose it depends what he means by "galloped or worked"?

[Idolmite]

I doubt that check at the 2 furlong mark cost him 2 lengths either. Storm Boy just ran a very poor race first-up over there. Time will tell whether the confidence is warranted or just PR spin. His reputation has always been bigger than his overall performance, despite winning $3.5 million. 

[We're Doomed]

He was potentially valued at $50m at one stage. Does anyone know where his value currently suits? I think some of it was contingent on winning certain races, which of course he didn't do.

I'm not knocking the horse at all. Over hyped certainly, but he did look like a nice type.

[stodge]

Even over here, the comment STORM BOY "hadn't been galloped or worked" has raised a few eyebrows.

We know Aidan allows his better horses time to come to hand and they are often undercooked for their first run of the season and you only have to see the likes of City of Troy, Auguste Rodin and even the Irish 1000 Guineas winner LAKE VICTORIA to see how much improvement a racecourse run can provide.

Not having a horse 100% for its first run happens over here - many trainers will tell you for whatever reason (and this year it's been the very dry spring which has limited grass work) a horse first time up may not be cherry ripe but to publicly state a Group 1 winner hasn't sone any serious work before a racecourse run is further than I've ever heard.

STORM BOY will, I'm sure, be much better at Ascot - he'll have to be. Whether he's good enough to win the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee, well, on his very best form, yes, but is that what we'll get? I imagine Ryan Moore will be on him at Ascot.

[Phar Lap Fan]

If a jockey can be charged with not allowing a horse to run on its merits, should the same apply to trainers? When there are sufficient trial races to prepare a horse, can punters be confident that a horse is fit and competitive? You would tnink that unlikely when you see horses finshing, or not, 200 metres last.

[stodge]

47 minutes ago, Phar Lap Fan said:

If a jockey can be charged with not allowing a horse to run on its merits, should the same apply to trainers? When there are sufficient trial races to prepare a horse, can punters be confident that a horse is fit and competitive? You would tnink that unlikely when you see horses finshing, or not, 200 metres last.

Yes and up here you can be done under the non-triers rule if your horse or jockey fail to make the maximum effort to achieve the best possible placing.

However, it's not applied strictly by which I mean a horse can be considered to have done its best but if it's simply inexperienced or unfit or whatever, there wouldn't be any problem. I didn't see STORM BOY in the paddock at The Curragh so I don't know if those who did realised the horse was lacking in fitness and work (I find on-ourse paddock inspection the only way to bet properly). I see plenty of inexperienced 2-y-o and 3-y-o on debut who would clearly improve for the experience and I know there are horses who improve a lot for a run.

[scooby3051]

Lazzat wins Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes, Storm Boy fails

www.racenet.com.au

Former Australian boom colt Storm Boy again disappointed as Golden Eagle runner-up Lazzat shined bright to prevail in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes at Royal Ascot in the early hours of Sunday morning.

Lazzat highlighted his incredible tenacity to lead throughout, leaving his trainer Jerome Reynier dreaming of a clash with the world's best sprinter Ka Ying Rising after his star held off Japanese gun Satono Reve.

The bulk of Australian eyes were on Coolmore-owned Storm Boy, which could only manage 10th under the urging of champion rider Ryan Moore.

The racing future of the expensive colt is now clouded in uncertainty with the former Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained galloper failing to flatter in two northern hemisphere starts.

Now trained by Aidan O'Brien, Storm Boy didn't beat a runner home when last of nine in the Greenlands Stakes at The Curragh last month and was similarly disappointing in his Royal Ascot debut.

All honours, however, went to Lazzat, which put on a show during and after the race when the French gelding tossed rider James Doyle and went on a lap of honour around the famed English circuit.

Reynier confirmed his desire to take on the world's best sprinter and current The Everest favourite Ka Ying Rising over the next two months but a clash in Australia's richest sprint seems unlikely.

"I'd love to take on Ka Ying Rising," Reynier told Racing Post.

"Maybe at the end of the year we can face him in his own town in the Hong Kong Sprint.

"The July Cup is coming soon, so we'll bring him back home and probably wait to defend his crown in the Prix Maurice de Gheest.

"Then there's the Sprint Cup and then the Champion Sprint back here (in October)."

Lazzat's Ascot victory adds to the remarkable depth of form from this year's Golden Eagle (1500m), which has now produced eight subsequent individual Group 1 winners.

Placegetter Tom Kitten (All Star Mile) as well as Stefi Magnetica (Doncaster Mile), Port Lockroy (Railway Stakes), Joliestar (Newmarket Handicap, Kingsford Smith Cup), War Machine (Stradbroke Handicap), Skybird (Black Caviar Lightning) and Ascoli Piceno (Victoria Mile) have all since won majors.

Reynier intends to train Lazzat as a pure sprinter from now on.

"We knew we had a really good horse and he obviously had to prove it at the highest level," Reynier said.

"He did it as a three-year-old but after going to Australia and Hong Kong, I was a bit scared it was going to be tough to find Lazzat the same as he was.

"But obviously we have been trying him over a mile to open his options but he is a pure sprinter and he will stick to sprinting distances and straight courses for his future."

[scooby3051]

Expect retirement looms for him.

[Pegasus 9]

Horrible watch for Storm Boy. Not a happy horse. Cooked as a 2 yr old in my opinion. 

[BUCKY]

22 minutes ago, Pegasus 9 said:

Horrible watch for Storm Boy. Not a happy horse. Cooked as a 2 yr old in my opinion. 

Sweated up prior to the start. Makes me wonder if he thinks he is a stallion already...I've seen some video's of him training in Ireland and he looks a different horse. As you say, maybe did too much as a 2yr old.

[nomates]

1 hour ago, scooby3051 said:

Expect retirement looms for him.

Would you send a mare to him , I wouldn't .

They should bite the bullet and geld him and send him back to Gai .

[Blaird]

Being a grandson of the great Seachange he could be a successful stallion.

[Pegasus 9]

53 minutes ago, nomates said:

Would you send a mare to him , I wouldn't .

They should bite the bullet and geld him and send him back to Gai .

[sunlineboy]

1 hour ago, Pegasus 9 said:

Horrible watch for Storm Boy. Not a happy horse. Cooked as a 2 yr old in my opinion. 

Facts state he's just a Group 3 winner and no more. Running well in restricted races has never been a great form guide.

[nomates]

1 hour ago, Blaird said:

Being a grandson of the great Seachange he could be a successful stallion.

Probably be a more successful gelding .

[scooby3051]

1 minute ago, nomates said:

Probably be a more successful gelding .

Not sure they will make the ultimate gear change with him....he would be some chance with his pedigree to be a stallion...remember most stallions that retire to stud are not that successful anyway.

[nomates]

5 minutes ago, scooby3051 said:

Not sure they will make the ultimate gear change with him....he would be some chance with his pedigree to be a stallion...remember most stallions that retire to stud are not that successful anyway.

It's more his soft mentality , and that can be passed on .

[Idolmite]

57 minutes ago, nomates said:

It's more his soft mentality , and that can be passed on .

Bloody hereditary issues. Soft mentality huh? No wonder all of my kids have problems

[We're Doomed]

7 hours ago, nomates said:

Would you send a mare to him , I wouldn't .

They should bite the bullet and geld him and send him back to Gai .

Bloody expensive gelding. Does anyone know what his current ownership status is? A lot of his potential $50m value was based on him winning certain races, most of which he didn't win. So who owns him now and what did they pay, and what is he worth?

It would be interesting to hear what Gai thinks. I wonder if she would want him back and if she thinks he has any upside.

[Ohokaman]

He certainly didn’t look happy, hanging all the way down that straight.

They have some serious thinking to do now. Short racing career my guess.