TROPICAL SQUALL AND HYERONIMUS CLAIM THEIR SECOND GROUP 1 WIN TOGETHER

By Graham Potter | Saturday, March 2, 2024

How good a day it turned out for Adam Hyeronimus at Randwick on Saturday.

Yes, Hyeronimus had to settle for a view of the rear of Storm Boy as the star two-year-old, who Hyeronimus had partnered to a famous victory in the $2 million Magic Millions Two-year-Old Classic, controlled the Skyline Stakes with a frontrunning effort under James McDonald.

Hyeronimus had lost the ride on Storm Boy through no fault of his own, and a second best placing aboard Storm Boy’s stable companion Prost was always likely to be the best result he could get in that race and he achieved that with another very competent ride.

Four races later though, Hyeronimus was not going to be denied ... and this was a big one, the Group 1 Surround Stakes over 1400m in which Hyeronimus partnered the Waterhouse / Bott trained Tropical Squall ($8), a three-year-old daughter of Priced Icon to a hard-fought victory, urging his mount on strongly to the line to see off the determined, persistent of Stefi Magnetica ($17).

There has been no deviating path with the jockey here as Hyeronimus has ridden Tropical Squall in six out of seven starts ... including all of the filly’s five starts going back to September 2023 ... as well as all four of her barrier trails, so the two know each other very well.

That positive horse / rider relationship arguably played its part in Saturday’s Surround Stakes success in which Stefi Magnetica relentless pursuit of Tropical Squall down the length of the home straight might have brought a different result had Tropical Squall and Hyeronimus not been so at one with their focus and determination to get the job done.

In the end, the winning margin was only 0.12 lengths.

Ironically enough, the runner-up Stefi Magnetica raced in the same colours as Storm Boy.

In her last five starts, all with Hyeronmius aboard, Tropical Squall has won two Group 1’s ... the Flight Stakes and the Surround Stakes ... has finished second in the Group 3 Ethereal at Caulfield and third in the Group 2 Tea Rose. Her only failure in this period was in the VRC Oaks.

This latest win this produced an effort of some magnitude, underlining the fact that Tropical Squall is a force to be reckoned with, while also confirming the filly’s first-up prowess as she has now won three out of three first-up starts.

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