Another Star for Headwater

Hydro Star granted his sire, Headwater, a 12th first-crop Australian winner and may give the Vinery based son of Exceed And Excel a shot at his second stakes-success after his impressive victory at Sandown on Wednesday.

Hydro Star, on debut, powered past his rivals to win by a widening 2l over the 1000 metre maiden and has trainer John McArdle excited about his potential.

“A lot of the credit has to go to Jamie (Mott - jockey),” McArdle said “The horse was to go to Hong Kong and he pled with me to speak to the O’Briens about keeping him and it turned out the right way.

“He’s from a good female family, he’s by a good up-and-coming stallion, he’s still six months away but we’ll take him home and see what we do from here.

“He’ll go back to Lauriston for a week down on the beach and Warren Diggles will let me know how he’s going and, all going well, we’ll bring him home and have a look at him and decide whether we throw him in the deep end.”

Headwater has now moved to within one of Spill The Beans in the battle to be crowned Australia's leading first-season sire on winners.

Luskin Park a new era for Smith

Trainer Matthew Smith hopes his purchase of Luskin Park can propel him to a new level.

Smith told Racing.com that his Hunter Valley base would complement his existing stables at Warwick Farm Racecourse.

"I've kept my eyes open and the property was all set up and ready to go," Smith said.

"I've purchased the property with a view to preparing our spellers and breaking in our younger horses to support what we're doing at Warwick Farm.

"It allows us to keep an eye on our horses all the way through, that's the main idea.

"It's about getting them into the stable in the condition we want them to be whilst also allowing us to send horses to the farm for freshen ups midway through campaigns or train a few out of the paddock - it gives us extra options for our horses."

Nothdurft suffers fractured jaw

Leading Brisbane jockey Baylee Nothdurft is expected to have surgery after fracturing his jaw in a trackwork incident at Eagle Farm.

Trainer Tony Gollan told Racenet that Nothdurft had been trampled and kicked.

"He was coming down the back lane after working a horse - another horse was coming towards him and the filly has just taken fright and whipped around real quick," Gollan said.

"As he has hit the ground she has got over the top of him and kicked him as she has gone over him.

"He has got a clean break and will have surgery tonight and he will need a plate in his jaw."

Nothdurft is set to claim his first Brisbane jockeys' premiership this season.

Prosperous beginnings for Autridge's filly

Prosperous (NZ) (Savabeel) is set for better things after winning by 5l on debut for trainer Stephen Autridge at Avondale on Wednesday.

Prosperous was one of the few runners to make up significant ground on the day, pleasing her trainer.

“She worked really well on Saturday morning on a wet track so we thought given she handles it she was a chance,” Autridge said.

“She is certainly going to improve with it but it was a very pleasant surprise how easily she won.

“She is from a pretty handy family. There is no world-beaters there but they win races. My job is to try and get some black-type with her.”

The filly is a sister to 11-time winner Gustavo (NZ) and Autridge will keep her in work while she is in form and relishing the wet ground.

“She has pulled up really well and she handles it wet so there is a chance for us to keep stepping up.

“She was just starting to come to it before lockdown and had one quiet very nice trial before today.”

Crawford concerned by Pukekohe track

Trainer Shane Crawford is worried about an inside barrier and a big weight for his 3-year-old Not Usual Glorious (Fiorente {Ire}) at Pukekohe on Saturday.

Not Usual Glorious broke his maiden at Ellerslie earlier this month.

“It was a nice first-up win. He is a nice, progressive horse,” Crawford said. “I think once he gets up over a bit further, over 2000 metres, he will come into his own.

“Barrier one on Saturday at that time of the day, and carrying 60kg, is a bit concerning.

“At this stage we are 50/50 as to whether he will run or not. We are just a bit worried with how bad that track will be.”

Aloha Star has G1 Phoenix aims

Aloha Star (Ire) (Starspangledbanner), the surprise winner of last weekend’s G2 Airlie Stud S., could take on the boys next time in the G1 Phoenix S. at The Curragh on August 9, according to trainer Fozzy Stack.

Aloha Star had taken three tries to break her maiden, which she achieved at Bellewstown on July 2, and while her 33-1 score in the Airlie Stud was unexpected by most, Stack admitted he wasn’t entirely surprised.

“It was great to see her go and do that, because she’s a filly we always thought a lot of,” he said. “She was just a bit dizzy and fresh in Naas the first day, and then Chris [Hayes] taught her a lesson in how to settle in Tipperary. She won well in Bellewstown and stepped up again on Sunday, so it’s great.

“We’ll think about the Phoenix S.–she would have to be supplemented for that. Later on you’ve got the [G1] Moyglare [Stud S.], which we can put her in at the second entry stage. I was thinking about the [G2] Lowther at York, but she’d carry a penalty in that now, and you’ve obviously got the traveling to consider. We’ll see how she is, but she could run in the Phoenix and then go for the Moyglare.”

Magician bound for Italy

Magician (Ire) will stand in Italy next season .

A two-time champion in Ireland for Coolmore partners and Aidan O’Brien, the 2013 G1 Irish 2000 Guineas and G1 Breeders’ Cup Turf hero spent the better part of four seasons at Coolmore’s Ashford Stud in America (2015-2018) and stood the end of the 2018 season at Coolmore Stud in Ireland.

The sire of US black-type winner Miss My Rose (USA), the 10-year-old moved to Haras de Corlay in France for 2019 and this year. The bay, whose oldest offspring are four, will be managed by a partnership of Mattia Cadrobbi, Marco Bozzi and Guido Berardelli. A fee and stud farm will be announced later.