Nebula Storm

Nebula Storm put up a huge effort in defeat behind Fame And Glory in the Listed Vintage Crop Stakes over a mile and five furlongs at Navan on Sunday. This was just his fourth ever run, only his second in 17 months. The four-year-old has obviously had his problems, and he showed signs of inexperience when they quickened in front of him two furlongs out, Unity and Fame And Glory ranged up alongside him, meaning that he didn’t have much room against the rail, but he picked up really impressively once Johnny Murtagh pulled him out to the centre of the track and he hit the rising ground, and he may well have caught Fame And Glory in another few strides.

The John Oxx-trained colt, who races in the famous Sea The Stars colours of Christopher Tsui, was the lowest-rated horse in the race, rated 33lb inferior to Fame And Glory on official figures, but this was a huge run. He will have learned a lot from this and he will be of significant interest wherever he goes next. He is a half-brother to The Last Drop who finished second in a St Leger, and there is plenty of stamina on the dam’s side. The way he finished so strongly was indicative of a class horse though, not just a strong stayer at the trip as they didn’t go a great gallop here and he made up an awful lot of ground. He was really finding his feet through the last furlong on the quickest ground he had ever encountered, and it is not certain that he is going to prove best at further than this trip, although he should get further.

He is always going to attract attention from now on, given that he is the only horse since Sea The Stars who has carried these colours, but he could be an exciting horse for the rest of the season. John Oxx was talking about the Curragh Cup for him after this, and he could easily make up into an Irish St Leger horse.

17th April 2011