The $50 million purchase of star colt Storm Boy has been completed. Coolmore Stud secured the services of the winner of the Magic Millions 2YO Classic trained by Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott.
Everyone who had seen Storm Boy knew how good he was before he even started racing, but after posting three impressive wins in short succession, Storm Boy’s value skyrocketed and Coolmore had to move early or risk losing him.
Additional Payments for Future Wins
After several weeks of reports saying the horse was sold, Coolmore confirmed they purchased a controlling stake in the stallion prospect. The last step of that transaction was the extensive medical the Golden Slipper favourite underwent on February 7 which he successfully completed.
Jim Clarke was appointed by Adrian Bott to negotiate with the stud farms who expressed an interest, after the colt’s previous owners, the Cunningham family asked him to do so.
Clarke shortlisted Coolmore and Yulong’s bids as the best ones of the four offers that arrived. They valued the horse at $50 if he won the Slipper, Champagne Stakes, and the ATC Sires’ Produce Stakes.
The offers also stipulated that, if Storm Boy wins races such as the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes when he is three, additional payments would kick in. Clarke said he examined both proposals at Tulloch Lodge Stable on January 22 and recommended to Bott that the Cunninghams should go with the Coolmore bid.
The Best Magic Millions Performance in 25 Years
The son of Triple Crown winner Justify, Storm Boy has the pedigree and physique to dominate racing. And after his impressive Magic Millions win, Coolmore knew it had to act quickly to get the prized asset Clarke says is “in very rare air.” The breeding operation moved earlier than it ever had to get a horse it wanted.
Coolmore’s Tom Magnier said they were “extremely excited to secure Storm Boy,” adding that his performance in the Magic Millions “had to be seen to be believed.” Australian ratings experts described the horse’s performance as the best in the last 25 years.
