Dettori confirmed for Magics role

Star European jockey Frankie Dettori will be heading to the Gold Coast next January to take part in all that is on offer at the 2020 The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions Carnival

The winner of more than 500 Group races and current Longines World’s Jockey of the Year, will be in the thick of the action from the outset.

His schedule will include captaining Team Ferrari in his polo debut against arch rival Hugh Bowman at Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo on Sunday 5 January

"My plan is to secure a ride in the main race at Magic Millions, and whilst I am coming out for the whole experience, what better way to start the carnival week than trying my hand at polo, playing against none other than Australia’s Hugh Bowman," Dettori said.

"I’ll be trying to get some practice in ahead of Magic Millions," he said.

"My brother-in-law plays polo so I’ll be after some tips. The competitive side of me wants to make sure I can try and match it with Hugh on the polo field for sure."

Dettori will also ride along Surfers Paradise beach for The Star Gold Coast Barrier Draw Beach Run on Tuesday, January 7, while he will be looking to secure rides for the $10 Million The Star Gold Coast Magic Millions race day.

Magic Millions co-owner Katie Page Harvey says the involvement of Dettori will help take Pacific Fair Magic Millions Polo to another level.

Rain rules out sprinter

Vega Magic (Lope De Vega) will bypass the G3 Aurie’s Star H. at Flemington due to the likelihood of bad weather.

Co-trainer Ben Hayes said the likelihood of a wet track meant they would rely on So Si Bon (So You Think {NZ}) and Seaburge (Sebring) fo fly the stable flag.

Vega Magic may now return in the G3 The Heath at Caulfield on August 31.

"I think there's rain predicted all week and we don't want to run him on a wet track," Hayes said.

"Running first-up in the Memsie would probably be a bit hard. There's a race called The Heath on the same day at that is 1100 metres and set weights plus penalties, so at the moment I think that's the race we're going to target with him.”

From Group 1 to Darwin Cup victory

Group 1 winner Ihtsahymn (Ihtiram {Ire}) has snatched his biggest paycheque in six years, winning Monday's $200,000 Great Northern Darwin Cup.

The 9-year-old, now trained by Rob Gulberti at Broome, claimed the 12th win of his 60 start career, with a hard-fought win over Lotion (Good Journey {USA}) and Xebec (USA) (Mizzen Mast {USA}).

Ihtsahymn won the 2013 G1 Kingston Town Classic at Ascot for legendary trainer Fred Kersley, whose family retain an interest in the horse. He transferred to Gulberti's stables in Broome last month winning first-up with 66kg at his new home track before a victory at Darwin nine days ago.

He carried 60.5kg to victory on Monday with veteran jockey Peter Hall in the saddle.

Boom follows Sequalo's steps

Eureka Stud's Spirit Of Boom has followed in the footsteps of his own sire Sequalo and become Queensland Champion Sire.

With only two crops to race, Spirit of Boom has claimed honours in the 2018/2019 season, with his progeny earning $5,756,000 with 62 individual winners in Australia alone.

With stakes-winners Outback Barbie, Champagne Boom, Boomsara and Perudo, he was one of only three stallions to be represented in the Australian Top Ten Sires for both 2YO winners and 3YO winners, alongside Snitzel and I Am Invincible.

Sequalo won the Queensland Champion Sire title twice in 2002/2003 and 2013/2014, while Spirit of Boom joins Brave Warrior and Semipalatinsk as Eureka Stud stallions to have claimed the honour.

Dettori's dozen as Advertise blitzes

Frankie Dettori's amazing run of success has continued with the star jockey collecting his 12th Group 1 win of 2019 aboard Advertise (GB) (Showcasing {GB}) in the G1 Prix Maurice De Gheest at Deauville.

On the same day it was announced he would be one of the ambassadors for 2020 Magic Millions, Dettori took his amazing run to France, guiding Advertise to his third Group 1 win to go with his successes in the G1 Commonwealth Cup and G1 Phoenix S.

"He’s a lovely horse who was in tremendous form and two furlongs from home I had to take a pull, as he idles in front,” Dettori said.

“When I saw the others coming I kicked and he showed a good turn of foot. He felt Brando coming and took off again, but I was alone for a while and there to be shot at. He’s a proper horse and deserved it.”

The win of the Martyn Meade-trained colt was also a significant success for his owner Phoenix Thoroughbreds, which has invested substantially in Australian racing in the past 18 months.

Advertise has become a banner horse for former Haunui Farm shuttler Showcasing, whose final Southern Hemisphere crop have just turned one.

Stakes success for Cornerstone stallions

The good international results have continued for Cornerstone Stud's resident stallions with Sir Prancealot (Ire) and Zebedee (GB) both having stakes winners on Sunday.

Major Jumbo (GB) became the ninth Northern Hemisphere stakes winner for Zebedee when he claimed the Listed Queensferry S. at Chester by three lengths.

Zebedee's oldest progeny in Australia have just turned three, with four of them winning races in their first season on the track.

Sir Prancealot's Beau Recall (Ire) claimed a third career stakes win when nosing out Storm The Hill (USA) (Get Stormy {USA}) to win the G2 Yellow Ribbon Hcp at Del Mar.

The Brad Cox-trained mare has become a flagbearer for her sire in the USA, along with Madame Dancealot (Ire), paving the way for Sir Prancealot to shuttle to Rancho San Miguel in California in 2020.

Frosted yearlings on show at Saratoga

The first Northern Hemisphere-bred yearlings by Darley's shuttle stallion Frosted (USA) will hit the sales ring at this week's Fasig-Tipton Saratoga Sale.

Frosted, whose first Australian crop have just become yearlings, has 13 in the catalogue for the two-day Saratoga Sale which kicks off Monday at Saratoga Springs.

American Pharoah (USA), who will shuttle to Australia for his third season at Coolmore this spring, has eight of his second crop catalogued, while Vinery's legendary More Than Ready (USA), who returns to Australia this year for the 19th time, has two yearlings up for sale.

Expectations are that it can rival last year's record-breaking sale with most of the global powerhouses present.

“I think there is a very good group of horses on the grounds,” Fasig-Tipton President Boyd Browning, Jr. said.

“We felt very good about the horses as we saw them this spring and as we were putting the catalogue together. You never know exactly until they get to the sales grounds, but the feedback we’ve gotten from the potential buyers has been very positive about the overall quality that’s here. There has been lots of activity on the sales grounds in advance of the sale, we know the market is pretty solid, and we’re very optimistic heading into Monday.”

Derby ballot exemptions

The first three placegetters in the G2 Waikato Guineas will now be exempt from the ballot for the G1 Vodafone New Zealand Derby. This amendment to the balloting conditions of the Derby comes after a recent review undertaken by the Auckland Racing Club’s (ARC) management and board.

”We had an unfortunate case this year when the third placed horse in the Waikato Guineas, a race recognised as a significant lead-up event to the Vodafone New Zealand Derby, missed a start in the big race due to not earning enough stake money,” ARC Executive GM of Racing & Operations, Craig Baker said.

“Giving ballot exemption status to the first three placed horses fixes that anomaly.”

It was also decided that the fourth-placed horse in the Avondale Guineas will no longer receive ballot exemption from the Derby and only horses placed in the top five in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic will have their stake earnings from that race counted toward the Derby order of entry.

Blue victory in Saratoga Derby

A Thread of Blue (USA) has claimed the inaugural US$1 million Saratoga Derby for trainer Kiara McLaughlin.

The son of one-time Darley Australia stallion Hard Spun (USA) turned the tables on Digital Age (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) for their meeting in the G2 American Turf S. at Churchill Downs in May.

Aidan O'Brien's Cape of Good Hope (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the full-brother to Swettenham Stud's Highland Reel (Ire) from the family of Australian Group 1 winners Elvstroem (Danehill {USA}) and Haradasun (Fusaichi Pegasus {USA}), finished third.

Eight Rings salutes for SF and partners

SF Racing's new colts' partnership has celebrated its first winner in style with Eight Rings' (USA) (Empire Maker {USA}) six-length win at Del Mar on Sunday,

The 2-year-old colt, trained by Bob Baffert, was one of 24 that the new partnership between SF Racing, Starlight Racing, Madaket Stables, Fred Hertrich III, John Fielding and Ben Goldberg, and Elliott Friman’s Golconda Stables, secured at last year's yearling sales.

“When we bought him as a yearling, we were excited, and Eddie Woods, who broke the horse, said he didn’t turn a hair all winter,” SF’s Tom Ryan said. “He was one of the first horses shipped out to California this spring and has trained like a good horse since then. They’ve still got to show up in the afternoons, but he looks like he really enjoys his job.”

A $520,000 buy from Keeneland September Sale, Ryan said there was universal approval of the colt when he came up for sale.

“There was consensus across the board on him–Bob Baffert loved him, [agent] Donato [Lanni] loved him, Henry Field loved the horse and so did [Starlight’s] Frankie Brothers. Every time we went back to see him, he put his head down, moved well. He’s got a beautiful head, neck and shoulder and he’s very balanced,” he said.