The Breeder Series - Eighteen Years On

In 2006 renowned Victorian breeders Geoff and Helen Head imported the American mare Spirited Storm from North America and the daughter of Artsplace has had a remarkable impact on the breed in Australia in a relatively short period of time.

Spirited Storm has produced seven winners at stud in Victoria headlined by the 2016 Australian 2yo Pacer of the Year The Storm Inside which made a blistering start to his career with wins at his first 11 race-starts as a 2yo, 3yo and 4yo.

He retired to stud at Alabar Stud with 16 wins in his 19 career starts and his first crop of 2yos began racing earlier this year.

He is already the sire of five 2yo winners in 2024 including the Nutrien Sales Classic runner-up Storms Collide.

That he should make such a promising start to his career as a sire is hardly surprising as he is from the maternal family responsible sires of the ilk of his own sire Rocknroll Hanover, Safely Kept Panorama, Grinfromeartoear and Tell All to name but a handful.

A half-sister to The Storm Inside in Miss Worthy Whitby is the dam of WA Sales Classic 2yo winner Its Rock And Roll and that gelding’s older three-quarter sister Ayshe Whitby.

Ayshe Whitby was bred by Western Australian breeding luminary Dr Ed Dewar and she had just one race start at Kalgoorlie before being retired to stud.

Dewar bred a Mr Feelgood filly from the mare before she was sold to Victorian breeder Justin Baker who had her served by Captaintreacherous.

The resultant foal was The Lost Storm which Baker races in partnership with Clayton Tonkin.

The Lost Storm began racing in July 2022 and rounded out his 2yo campaign of nine starts on New Years Eve 2022 with victory in the Group One Vicbred Super Series final with a massive 37 metre win over Perfect Class and Don Hugo in a slick 1:52.2 over the 2240 metres.

With seven wins as a 2yo The Lost Storm enjoyed a long break before resuming as a 3yo in July 2023 and after a couple of wins in restricted company in Victoria he was taken north and beat Wisper A Secret and Doug’s Platter in the Group One Queensland Derby.

His seven 3yo starts yielded four wins and after a six month break he resumed in March this year with victory over Rakero Rebel and Perfect Class in the Group Three Melton Plate and followed that with victory in the Bold David Free-For-All at Melton.

The Lost Storm