The hype surrounding Storm Boy, Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott‘s sensational colt, intensified after his effortless victory in the 2024 Skyline Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Storm Boy wins 2024 Skyline Stakes on way to Group 1 Golden Slipper. Photo: Steve Hart.
The Justify son, already the centre of attention pre-race, lived up to his billing, claiming the Group 2 Skyline Stakes (1200m) in dominant fashion.
This win extends his undefeated streak to four victories in four starts.
Storm Boy last displayed his brilliance at the Gold Coast in January, winning the lucrative Magic Millions 2YO Classic by a commanding 2.5 lengths.
Returning fresh for the Skyline, he continued his dominance under jockey James McDonald.
McDonald utilized the inside draw to secure the lead early and maintained control throughout the race.
A gentle nudge in the final furlong solidified his lead, and Storm Boy crossed the finish line comfortably ahead of the pack.
“He’s as good as you get. He’s strong, he knows he’s really good and the more you ask him the more he keeps giving,” McDonald told the media after the victory.
“You don’t get many fields coming up the rise and quickening like he does by himself. If feel like if one joined him he would go again.
“He just idled. You could see him down the middle of the track, fishtailed a little bit through greenness but there is so much more to come and that is the scary thing about him.
“Fitness-wise he’s going to improve so I felt like he levelled out over the last 50 metres. The most impressive thing is I think he’s got more to come and more to give.
“Until he gets into a high pressure race, I think that is when you’ll see a fair dinkum horse. He felt like he could rip away and he’s got more to give.
“He’s got the constitution of a big strong boy, he’s got the lungs on him. It felt like i was going fast up the rise and he goes faster. It is an incredible feeling.”
Stablemate Prost secured a distant second, while Chris Waller‘s Duvana finished third.
This dominant performance has solidified Storm Boy’s position as the raging favourite for the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes in three weeks’ time.
His all-in odds have significantly shortened to $2.40 at Ladbrokes, making him the clear frontrunner in the race.
Storm Boy aims to become the first horse since Dance Hero (2004), also trained by Gai Waterhouse, to achieve the Skyline Stakes – Golden Slipper Stakes double.
With a record of seven previous Golden Slipper champions, the Tulloch Lodge team, led by Waterhouse and Bott, looks poised to add another victory to their legacy with Storm Boy.
Bott also confirmed the Group 1 Inglis Sires’ (1400m) and Group 1 Champagne Stakes (1600m) as autumn targets for Storm Boy post-Golden Slipper.
“We’ve had to prepare for the Golden Slipper, but we’ve got big targets for the Triple Crown as well,” he said.
“I’d like to think he is only going to be better suited getting over the 1400, 1600 metres in time. It’s very exciting for everyone involved.”
2024 Skyline Stakes Results
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | STORM BOY | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | James McDonald | 1 | 55.5kg | $1.18F | |||
| 2 | 3 | PROST | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Adam Hyeronimus | 1.38L | 6 | 55.5kg | $12 | ||
| 3 | 8 | DUVANA | Chris Waller | Jason Collett | 2.61L | 3 | 55.5kg | $18 | ||
| 4 | 4 | PARKOUR | James Cummings | Tim Clark | 4.79L | 5 | 55.5kg | $13 | ||
| 5 | 7 | PRESIDENT | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 7.06L | 7 | 55.5kg | $20 | ||
| 6 | 5 | CERONS | Brett Cavanough | Ashley Morgan | 9.02L | 2 | 55.5kg | $51 | ||
| 7 | 6 | INDECISIVE | John Thompson | Zac Lloyd (a) | 15.21L | 4 | 55.5kg | $41 | ||
| 9 | KINGDOM UNDERSIEGE | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tommy Berry | 0 | ||||||
| 2 | ODINSON | Ciaron Maher | Tom Marquand | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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