News Storm The Stars makes Australian switch to join Chris Waller

Storm The Stars makes Australian switch to join Chris Waller

racing

Storm The Stars has joined Chris Waller's stables in Australia having left Newmarket trainer William Haggas to continue his career Down Under.

The three-year-old was one of the leading middle-distance colts of his generation, being placed in the English and Irish Derbys and winning the Great Voltigeur Stakes at York.

He was fourth in the Ladbrokes St Leger on his final British start at Doncaster in September.

One of his first major targets will be the Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival which takes place in March and April.

"He left on William's advice. We both talked to the owner and William felt the horse would have a good future in Australia," said Bruce Raymond, racing manager to Sheikh Juma Dalmook Al Maktoum.

"The horse only came out of quarantine in Melbourne on the 19th and went up to Sydney and is now with Chris Waller, who's the tops.

"There are a lot of good mile-and-a-half races with huge prize-money. I'd be surprised if there were many horses as good as him at that distance.

"He will probably be aimed at their Autumn Carnival. Chris Waller has already worked out a programme for him. You could even include races for him over a mile and a quarter. He could be versatile over there.

"We thought he would definitely stay the Leger trip and he didn't. A mile and a half is obviously his optimum trip.

"He was a late-developing horse and he should excel as a four, five and six-year-old.

"He had a lot of racing this year because he was a horse William had to keep on top of as he was very fresh at home."