Coolmore backs trainer Aidan O'Brien to have Storm Boy at his best for Royal Ascot

Daily Telegraph

3 days ago

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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.
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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.''
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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.
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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.'
Originally published as Coolmore backs trainer Aidan O'Brien to have Storm Boy at his best for Royal Ascot