Daily News Wrap

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Needs Further stays in Tassie

Needs Further will remain at Armidale Stud for the upcoming season, with his fee increasing from $5,500 to $13,750 (inc GST) largely on the back of star filly Mystic Journey.

Mystic Journey's amazing 2018/19 season, which included wins in the G1 Australian Guineas and the inaugural $5m All-Star Mile has put a major spotlight on her sire, with Armidale Stud’s Managing Director David Whishaw admitting he had fielded a lot of interest from mainland studs.

“There has been an incredible amount of interest from mainland studs in relocating Needs Further," Whishaw said. “But all said and done we are passionate about the Tasmanian racing and breeding industry and we believe Needs Further can continue to be a success at stud whilst standing in Tasmania.”

Needs Further

“I think he has done an incredible job to be where he is with only three crops of racing age and all told around seventy runners. He is also running third on the Third Season Sires list, behind Pierro and All Too Hard, both of whom have had nearly three times the number of starters as he has had."

As well as Mystic Journey, Needs Further also had dual stakes winner Mystical Pursuit, and Deroche, a comprehensive winner of the 2019 Tasmanian Magic Millions 2-year-old Classic, this season. He has had the leading 2-year-old in Tasmania in each of the past three seasons.

Alpine Eagle, whose first foals hit the ground last spring, will again stand alongside Needs Further at an unchanged fee of $7700 (inc GST).

Lindsay Park backs Aquis Queensland boycott

Lindsay Park has leant its support to Aquis Farm's decision to effectively boycott Queensland racing over integrity issues.

Aquis Farm one of Queensland's biggest owners, announced on Thursday that it would no longer enter horses that it has the majority ownership of in races in Queensland until certain integrity issues were resolved.

While not specifically mentioning the saga involving Toowoomba trainer Ben Currie, it is believed that issue has triggered Aquis' actions.

Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes

Lindsay Park trainer David Hayes told Racenet that while he wasn't in a position to stop owners entering their horses in Queensland races, he would be discouraging them from doing it.

“I support what Aquis said,” Hayes said. “I’ve given them (Aquis) a lot of support because what’s going on up there is not looking good at the moment."

“They (Racing Queensland) need to tidy up their act to make people feel like they want to go up there and play on a level playing field."

“I’m not barring it (racing in Queensland) but I’m not planning to go there until they clean it up."

“We’ll take a horse up there for the owners but I’m not encouraging it.”

Eminent Hong Kong bid still on

Sir Mark Todd will press on to Hong Kong with He's Eminent (Ire) (Frankel {GB}) despite a disappointing performance in the G1 Queen Elizabeth S. on Saturday.

Sir Mark could only offer the additions of earmuffs as a reason behind the effort, which saw He's Eminent finish eighth, 16.5 lengths from Winx (Street Cry {Ire}).

“He’d worked in them and been fine,’’ Todd said. ‘’I expected him to jump and put himself there in front. He likes to be near the front. But he just didn’t switch on. James (McDonald) said it wasn’t him."

‘’He did get a bit worked up in the back parade ring, but that’s normal for him."

Sir Mark Todd

‘’I spoke to others and there had been similar experiences with ear muffs for the first time, it even happened with Winx. When they tried them on her she missed the jump by six lengths.’’

The 5-year-old will now head to the G1 QEII Cup at Sha Tim on April 29 after which his immediate racing future will be determined.

‘’If he goes well he’ll go back to Europe and we’ll probably look at the Prince Of Wales’s Stakes (Gr.1 2000m) at Royal Ascot,’’ Todd said. ‘’If he doesn’t fire in Hong Kong, that’ll be it.’’

He's Eminent is expected to stand at a stud in New Zealand should Todd decide not to press on with his racing career.

Probabeel returning home

Probabeel (Savabeel) is headed to the paddock and will not contest Saturday’s G1 Champagne S. at Randwick.

The Karaka Million 2YO winner was last seen when fifth in the G1 Inglis Sires and trainer Jamie Richards has opted to take her back to New Zealand and prepare her for her 3-year-old year.

“We’re going to give her a break. She has done a terrific job for us and we believe that she has got it all in front of her," Richards said.

“She is headed home tonight (Monday) and she will have a break and be set for the spring.”

Probabeel

Raced by Cambridge Stud's Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Probabeel has options on both sides of the Tasman in the spring.

“I would say that the Cambridge Stud team would be leaning more towards Australia than Riccarton (Gr.1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas, 1600m) in the spring, but we will discuss those sorts of things during the winter when she comes back into work,” Richards said.

“I am looking forward to her three-year-old season immensely.”

Talented galloper Ardrossan (Redoute's Choice) is another headed back to New Zealand after sustaining a suspensory strain while in Sydney.

“That was a bit of a blow to the team because he was flying that horse. He’s out of the top draw that one, so it’s a real shame," trainer Stephen Marsh said.

“We will just bring him home and look after him and hopefully we can get his Group One next season."

Terbium kept fresh for spring

Rising star Terbium (Terango) will skip the Adelaide carnival and instead have one run in Melbourne this time in before heading to the early-season sprints.

The 3-year-old grey is unbeaten in four starts for Phillip Stokes, who had initially looked to take on stakes company again after his win in the G3 Zeditave S. at Caulfield in February.

But Stokes told Racing.com that Terbium would head to a 3-year-old race at Flemington in May and then be sent back to the paddock.

"I was going to take him to Adelaide but I’m thinking about maybe just giving him one run in Melbourne and tipping him out again,’’ Stokes said.

"I thought about taking him over for the Euclase (Stakes) but he’s a gelding and I thought that it’s all well and good winning a Group 2 – and he’d still have to win it - but then his rating goes through the roof."

"We’ve bought him in to give him the one run,’’ Stokes said. ‘’It’ll keep him stimulated and then he’ll have another little break before the spring."

Terbium

Small, Adkins hospitalised after falls

Jockey Braidon Small has been placed in a coma after suffering a delayed reaction to a head injury, following a fall at Pakenham on Sunday.

Victorian Jockeys Association chief executive Matt Hyland confirmed that Small, 27, who fell from Startierra (Starcraft {NZ}) in the 3200-metre hurdle, had initially travelled back home to Warrnambool before his condition deteriorated and he was admitted to hospital and diagnosed with bleeding on the brain.

He was then flown to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital where he underwent surgery on Monday.

The son of the former star Vo Rogue’s rider Cyril, Small is one of Victoria's leading jumps riders.

Meanwhile, Andrew Adkins, injured in a heavy fall at Randwick on Saturday, remains in hospital.

"He's got a fractured cheekbone or eye socket, nose, sternum and three fractures to the back," his father Brett Adkins told RSN.

"But in saying that, there's no operation needed because they are compressed fractures."

Adkins said the timeframe for his son's recovery would become clearer over the coming days.

"We've heard a month to three months. We'll hear more from the doctors today."