Star local stallions dominate March Yearling Sale

Yearlings by star Queensland stallions Better Than Ready and Spirit Of Boom dominate the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast March Yearling Sale catalogue.

Lyndhurst Farm's Better Than Ready, who has already produced eight winners from his first 2-year-old crop and buyers in March will get a look at 49 of his second crop.

Eureka Stud's Spirit Of Boom, a graduate from this sale himself who has had six stakes winners in his first two crops, has 30 lots catalogued.

There are 359 yearlings in the catalogue for the sale which runs over two days, March 18 and 19.

Buyers will also get a 33% discount on the Magic Millions Race Series nomination fee to make their purchase eligible for $11 million worth of graduate races held over six states of Australia.

QTIS eligible thoroughbreds are also eligible to race for $1.6 million in prizemoney on Gold Coast's March Sales Raceday on March 14, 2020, include the $500,000 The Jewel for 2YOs.

Byrne out for up to six months

Five-time premiership winning jockey Jim Byrne will miss up to six months of racing after injuring his shoulder.

Byrne tore the bicep away from the shoulder and had to be stood down last Saturday after dismounting from Garibaldi (I Am Invincible) following his victory in Race 2 at Eagle Farm.

The 47-year-old will undergo surgery on Wednesday, which will see him sidelined for a long period.

"They will have to go in and screw it back into place. It will take time to mend and the doctor said I will have to give it rest to recover," Byrne told reporters.

"I fell off a horse at track work a couple of weeks ago but thought it was fine. I was OK to ride on Saturday but after I had gone about five strides on Garibaldi I knew something was very wrong."

"I have ridden in a race before with a broken hand and I knew the sudden very bad pain meant something bad."

"I went to the specialist on Monday and on Tuesday he said he would get me in as soon as possible for surgery on Wednesday."

Group 1 hope resuming

Declarationofheart (Declaration Of War {USA}) has been gelded since his spring preparation and the 3-year-old will step out at Sandown to begin a campaign aimed toward autumn Group 1 races.

He resumes in Wednesday's Highways Lunar New Year Handicap over 1300 metres with hopes he can progress to the G1 Australian Guineas in Melbourne and longer Classic races in Sydney.

“We're hoping now he can show his real talent on the racecourse with his mind fully on the job,” Freedman's racing manager Brad Taylor said.

“He did become very colty and hard to handle on the ground and then you could see that in his races that his mind wasn't on the job.”

Declarationofheart won his first two starts and then finished fourth in the Listed Antler Luggage Plate race at Flemington before unplaced in the G3 Caulfield Guineas Prelude.

Declarationofheart won over 1300m at Sandown first-up last campaign, although Taylor believes he is probably looking for further now.

Kennewell keen on Dubai

An overseas trip beckons dual Group 1 winner Viddora (I Am Invincible) if she performs up to expectations when she returns in the G1 Oakleigh Plate on February 23.

The 6-year-old had a jump-out at Caulfield on Tuesday morning and trainer Lloyd Kennewell said the mare would have another hit-out before she resumes.

Viddora has been given an invitation to run in the G1 Al Quoz Sprint in Dubai a month after the Oakleigh Plate and he is keen to travel the mare.

She added the G1 Moir S. at Moonee Valley during her spring preparation.

Stud considerations for Levendi

Peter and Manny Gelagotis are canvassing stud options for G1 Australian Derby winner Levendi (Pierro) after he suffered what could prove a career-ending injury.

A day after his mishap in a Warwick Farm barrier trial, trainer Peter Gelagotis said the 4-year-old was in good hands and should make a full recovery, but his future may be in the breeding barn, not on the racetrack.

"It’s been established that he had a pelvic fracture. The good thing is that the prognosis to return is very, very good, at this initial stage," he told RSN.

"Not all is lost, because he is an entire and there has been some strong interest around the horse to stand at stud."

"He's got an amazing CV. He won as a 2-year-old, he won as a 3-year-old over shorter distances, he won a Group mile race. He went to Sydney and was unbeaten in two starts there at Group 2 and Group 1 level."

"He covers all the distance ranges. He is gritty, he's tough, he's by a very fashionable stallion out of a Redoute's Choice mare. It’s a very deep pedigree."

Stakes start in balance

Dual black type winner Miss Federer (NZ) (Swiss Ace) may be given the opportunity to add to her tally in the near future.

Trainer Andrew Carston was of a mind to spell the filly after her last-start success in the G3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic, but is now on the short list to run in the G2 J Swap Contractors Matamata Breeders’ S.

Miss Federer is at Stephen McKee’s Auckland property and Carston will assess whether she steps out again.

“I had her booked to go to Palmerston North for a couple of weeks off before I brought her home,” he said. “But after winning, I changed my mind pretty quickly."

“She has had a couple of quiet days since Saturday, which she definitely needed after the run she had, but she’s eating everything that is being put in front of her, which is a good sign.

“I will go and have a look at her toward the end of the week and keep in touch with Stephen and decide whether or not we go to the Matamata Breeders’ Stakes."

Power joins Aquis Farm

Aquis Farm has confirmed that Paddy Power will join as Chief Operations Officer from March.

Power has been working as business manager for Coolmore and joins Aquis Farm at a time of considerable growth in both its breeding and racing operations.

"I am hugely excited to be joining the team at Aquis Farm," Power said.

"To have witnessed the development of the company over the past four years has been truly phenomenal and to be afforded the opportunity to be a part of that continued progression into the future, is an opportunity that I am very much looking forward to."

Aquis Farm CEO, Shane McGrath, said Power would play a major role in the continued expansion of Aquis' operations in Australia.

"Bringing someone of Paddy's calibre onto the team will be a significant asset in supporting Aquis Farm's continued growth and development in Australia and helping to realise the Fung family's full vision for Aquis Farm into the future."