Storm The Stars is set to make his Australian racing debut in the 2016 Chipping Norton Stakes and trainer Chris Waller expects the import to show his class in the Group 1 event at Royal Randwick on Saturday.
Tye Angland has been booked to ride Storm The Stars in the 2016 Chipping Norton Stakes at Royal Randwick this weekend. Photo by: Daniel Costello
Storm The Stars was unable to record a Group 1 victory in the United Kingdom, but he took out the Group 2 Great Voltigeur Stakes (2414m) at York on August 19 and finished in the placings in the Group 1 Epsom Derby (2423m), Group 2 Irish Derby (2414m) and Group 1 Grand Prix De Paris (2400m) before he was sold to Australia.
Waller expects that the 1600 metres of the Chipping Norton Stakes will be too short for Storm The Stars, but he believes that the Epsom Derby placegetter is one of the classiest gallopers to be sent to Australia and can be a serious player during the 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival.
“He is a proper horse,” Waller said.
“He has taken a while to adapt work wise, but condition wise he looks outstanding.
“He is sound, he didn’t quite get to them in his exhibition gallop, but he was spotting them 15.
“He is going well.
“The mile is going to be a touch short, but watch out for this blokes class and once he gets up to 2000 look out.”
The Waller team in the Chipping Norton Stakes is dominated by Cox Plate winner Winx, but the leading stable still has Preferment, Who Shot Thebarman and Grand Marshal in the Group 1 event.
Waller believes that a mile is also too short for the talented trio, but he is confident they will be ready to peak when they reach the Group 1 Australian Cup (2000m), Group 1 The BMW (2400m) and Group 1 Sydney Cup (3200m) respectively.
“Preferment is going good,” Waller said.
“A mile is a too short, but he will run in the Australian Cup in a couple of weeks.
“He loves 2000 and he loves Flemington.
“Third-up Who Shot Thebarman will be ready to go bang.
“I think that the mile will be a bit short for him second-up.
“His third-up run will either be the Ranvet in three weeks or two weeks the Sky High Stakes.
“I’m leaning two weeks into the Sky High Stakes and then he can go two weeks in The BMW.
“Watch out BMW, here he comes.
“Grand Marshal is actually the same as Who Shot Thebarman, but watch out Sydney Cup.”
Winx is currently available at 2016 Chipping Norton Stakes odds of $1.35 with Ladbrokes, while Storm The Stars ($26), Preferment ($81), Who Shot Thebarman ($126) and Grand Marshal ($151) are all available at lengthy quotes.
