The owners of AU$50 million colt Storm Boy, the unbeaten Magic Millions 2YO Classic winner, knew they had a serious juvenile on their hands before he'd even raced.
So, too, did a number of studmasters who made unsuccessful initial overtures about buying into the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained juvenile following the colt's two impressive Sydney barrier trial victories at Rosehill and Warwick Farm on Oct. 27 and Nov. 8, respectively.
But with three subsequent summer wins on the board—posted at Rosehill Dec. 2, in the BJ McLachlan Stakes (G3) in Brisbane Dec. 23, and his recent blistering Magic Millions performance at the Gold Coast three weeks later—the skyrocketing offers continued to flow befitting a colt capable of completing a rare Sydney autumn 2-year-old clean sweep.
It prompted Storm Boy's connections, headed by the Cunningham family of the Hunter Valley nursery Ridgmont Farm, to reevaluate their position and decide to sell down a controlling interest in the valuable stallion prospect at least two months ahead of what was initially planned if he continued to live up to the racecourse hype.
After weeks of speculation that Storm Boy had been sold, Coolmore confirmed Feb. 7 it had finalized a massive deal to secure the ruling Golden Slipper (G1) favorite, with the last piece of the puzzle coming when the horse passed an extensive veterinary examination.
Bott appointed bloodstock agent Jim Clarke to handle negotiations with the four stud farms who had made an offer for Storm Boy on behalf of the colt's owners.
Clarke is also closely aligned with the Cunninghams, helping advise and manage Gary and Loralie and their children's bloodstock interests.
Coolmore and Yulong tabled the most compelling and lucrative offers for Storm Boy, offers that would value him at more than $50 million if he was to win a suite of races including the Slipper, the ATC Sires' Produce Stakes (G1), and the Champagne Stakes (G1).
Significant kicker payments, on top of an eight-figure sum paid upfront, would also be due if Storm Boy can win any signature races at 3, such as the Coolmore Stud Stakes (G1) or The Everest.
In a breakthrough deal for Clarke, the young Brisbane-based agent considered the respective studs' offers at Tulloch Lodge stables at Randwick Jan. 22, prior to making a recommendation to Bott and the colt's syndicate to side with Coolmore for Storm Boy whose currency was enhanced due to the fact he was a son of a growing international sire influence in Justify .
"The reality with this horse is with his physique, his pedigree and his performance, it puts him in very rare air," Clarke told ANZ Bloodstock News.
Such was the level of interest in Storm Boy, which intensified after the colt's 2 1/2-length domination of the Magic Millions field Jan. 13, Coolmore was forced to move earlier than it ever has before to secure an in-training stallion prospect or risk losing out to one of its rivals.
Storm Boy's Gold Coast performance was labelled by prominent Australian ratings experts as one of, if not the best, Magic Millions victories in a quarter of a century, which further fueled the studs' race against time.
"We are extremely excited to secure Storm Boy with a great group of clients and friends from all over the world. His performance in the Magic Millions had to be seen to be believed," Coolmore's Tom Magnier said.
The Cunninghams, who also race a significant number of fillies as a way of growing their Ridgmont Farm-based broodmare band, have retained a 5% share in Storm Boy while the majority of their partners have also kept equity in the colt, a AU$460,000 (US$317,070) purchase at last year's Magic Millions sale by his trainers and Kestrel Thoroughbreds' Bruce Slade.
Out of the two-time juvenile winner Pelican, herself a daughter of New Zealand champion sprinter Seachange, Storm Boy will continue to wear the Cunninghams' navy, gold sash, sleeves and cap silks during the autumn carnival.
Justify has taken all before him to date, siring the unbeaten Coolmore-owned, Aidan O'Brien-trained 3-year-old City of Troy and America's unbeaten juvenile filly Just F Y I, who won two grade 1s last year for trainer Bill Mott.
Overall, Justify is the sire of 26 individual stakes winners including the Southern Hemisphere-bred Learning To Fly, Air Assault, Star of Justice, Legacies, and, of course, Storm Boy.
On the back of his results, Justify will begin stud duties at Ashford Stud in Kentucky later this month at a fee of US$200,000.
He was rested from a trip to Coolmore Australia in 2022, but returned for last year's Southern Hemisphere breeding season, covering 188 mares at a service fee of AU$77,000.
