Storm Legend heads to Hong Kong via Goodwood after Naas win

Storm Legend unlucky in running in a Listed race at the Curragh last weekend, gained compensation when landing the Naas Nursery Of Champions Race and is set to continue his career in Hong Kong.

The son of Night Of Thunder won on debut here last November when trained by John Oxx and was sent off an easy to back 9/2 chance in this seven furlongs event.

Chris Hayes produced the colt with a well-timed challenge inside the final furlong, leading in the closing stages to prevail by a head from the fast-finishing Acanella Metaphorical was just half a length away in third.

Winning trainer Fozzy Stack said, “A mile would probably suit him better as he just grinds away.

“The plan is for him to go to Hong Kong in August and he might run in the Group 3 in Goodwood (Bonhams Thoroughbred Stakes) on the way there to quarantine. It ties in as he has to be in Newmarket around the start of August.

“It’s nice to have a winner for that man (Boniface Ho Ka Kui). It was very kind of him to send me the horse after he was in Oxx’s last year.

“I hope he’s lucky for him in Hong Kong and he could make into a Hong Kong Derby horse. He’ll definitely get a mile and he could get a mile and a quarter as there is plenty of stamina in his pedigree.”

Stack also reports his smart juvenile Castle Star in good form after finishing second to Go Bears Go in the GAIN Railway Stakes at the Curragh last Saturday.

“He’s great and all things being equal he’ll go for the Phoenix Stakes. He bounced out of the race in good order and hopefully he jumps off in time in that.”