English Derby placegetter Storm The Stars has joined the Chris Waller stable and the leading Sydney trainer believes that he has plenty of Group 1 options for the talented entire.
Chris Waller has a high opinion of English import Storm The Stars ahead of his Australian racing debut. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Storm The Stars was sent to Australia after he finished a gallant fourth behind Simple Verse in the Group 1 Ladbrokes St Leger Stakes (2937m) at Doncaster on September 12 and he is nearing his first public appearance since settling into the Waller stable.
Waller told Sky Racing HQ that Storm The Stars has acclimatized to Australian conditions in impressive fashion and he revealed that races like the Group 1 Chipping Norton Stakes (1600m), Group 1 George Ryder Stakes (1500m), Group 1 Ranvet Stakes (2000m), Group 1 The BMW (2400m) and Group 1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes (2000m) were all potential options for the son of Sea The Stars.
“He has some really good form and he is a very lightly-raced horse,” Waller said.
“We are just tossing up now whether he runs as early as the Chipping Norton and then goes to the Ranvet and possibly The BMW or whether he save him for the George Ryder and Queen Elizabeth.
“He is a very serious horse and we are just trying to work out how much speed he has got.
“We know he has stamina and we know these English horses can find speed in Australia, so that is the phase we are in at the moment.
“He could trial as early as the first of February, so you won’t have to wait too long to see him out in public.”
Storm The Stars made his racing debut with a second place finish at Newmarket in October of 2014 and he recorded his maiden race win in April last year before he made his black-type racing debut in the Group 3 Chester Vase (2474m) on May 7.
He took out the Listed Cocked Hat Stakes (2212m) and he finished in the placings in the Group 1 English Derby (2423m) at Epsom Downs on June 6, the Group 1 Irish Derby (2414m) at Curragh on June 27 and the Group 1 Grand Prix De Paris (2400m) on July 14 before he returned to winning form in the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes (2414m) at York on August 19.
Storm The Stars will likely make his first public appearance in Australia within the next fortnight.
