Australia: Storm Boy brings solid form into Run for the Roses Stakes

The only losses in Storm Boy’s seven-race career in Australia have been in Group 1 races. Otherwise, Storm Boy has won five times in three Group 2 or Group 3 races, a sales progeny stakes and a minor handicap.

Storm Boy won his lone start in the last five months by slightly less than three lengths in the Group 3 San Demenico Stakes for Southern Hemisphere 3-year-olds at 5 1/2 furlongs at Rosehill Gardens in Sydney on Aug. 31.

The win has led to Storm Boy to be entered for the Group 2 Run to the Roses Stakes at six furlongs for 3-year-olds at Rosehill Gardens on Friday evening. The Run to the Roses Stakes is a prep for the Group 1 Golden Rose Stakes for 3-year-olds at seven furlongs at Rosehill Gardens later this month.

Storm Boy, trained by Adrian Bott and Gai Waterhouse, won the Group 2 Skyline Stakes at six furlongs at Royal Randwick Racecourse in Sydney in March and was third in the Group 1 Golden Slipper Stakes at the same distance at Rosehill Gardens later that month.

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Storm Bay was fourth in the Group 1 Sires’ Produce Stakes at seven furlongs in April before he was given a rest during the Australian winter.

In the Run to the Roses Stakes, Storm Boy will be a strong favorite in a field of nine that includes Bustling and Switzerland.

Bustling won 4 of 5 starts at Ascot Racecourse in Perth, Australia, from early March to early May. This is Bustling’s first start in Sydney, which is considered to be a far tougher circuit.

Switzerland, winner of the Group 2 Todman Stakes at six furlongs at Randwick in early March, has not raced since an eighth-place finish in the Golden Slipper. Switzerland often runs from off the pace, while Bustling and Storm Boy are capable of leading.

The Run to the Roses Stakes is part of a 10-race program that begins at 9:50 p.m. Eastern or 6:50 p.m. Pacific. Wagering is available through DRFBets.com.

Via Sistina Leads Makybe Diva

Via Sistina, a Group 1 winner on two continents in the last 15 months, will be favored to win Friday’s Group 1 Makybe Diva Stakes at a mile at Flemington Racecourse in Melbourne.

Trained by Chris Waller, Via Sistina won her second Group 1 of 2024 in the Winx Stakes at seven furlongs at Randwick on Aug. 24, her first start since a second by 6 1/2 lengths to Pride of Jenni in the Group 1 Queen Elizabeth II Stakes at Randwick on April.

Via Sistina won the Group 1 Pretty Polly Stakes in Ireland in the summer of 2023 and the Group 1 Ranvet Stakes in her Australia debut in March.

In the Winx Stakes, Via Sistina closed from ninth to catch Zougotcha by a nose in the final strides. While Zougotcha is not part of the Makybe Diva field, the lineup does include the multiple Group 1 Mr Brightside who was second by less than a half-length in the Group 1 Memsie Stakes at seven furlongs at Caulfield Racecourse on Aug. 31 in his first start since March.

Pride of Jenni was only fifth in the Memsie in her first start since the Queen Elizabeth II Stakes and was later found to have an elevated temperature. She is part of a field of eight in the $501,700 Makybe Diva.

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