Daily News Wrap

Yarraman Fees announced

The fees for Yarraman Park's duo of stallions have been announced. I Am Invincible will stand for $220,000 (inc GST) in 2021, a slight increase on his $209,000 (inc GST) 2020 fee. His son Hellbent will stand at an unchanged fee of $22,000 (inc GST).

I Am Invincible has delivered 15 stakes-winners this season so far, including Dame Giselle, Libertini and Home Affairs, and is Australia’s leading sire by winners with over 170 already.

Both stallions were well received in the sale ring. I Am Invincible sired 11 individual yearlings to sell for $1million or more in 2021, at an average of $539,000 across major sales, topped by the $1.95 million Hips Don’t Lie (Stravinsky) filly.

Hellbent has had 77 yearlings sell for $9.95 million across all major sales and at Magic Millions had 30 yearlings average $185,333, with a top price of $500,000 for the filly from Jalan Jalan.

Queensland swansongs for stars

Trainer Chris Waller is hoping to give Group 1-winning veterans Humidor (NZ) (Teofilo {Ire}) and Kings Will Dream (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) a dream farewell during the Brisbane Winter Carnival.

Waller will aim Kings Will Dream at the G1 Stradbroke H., while the G2 Hollindale S. and G1 Doomben Cup are possible targets for Humidor.

“Kings Will Dream will head to the Stradbroke, and it could be his last race,” Waller told Racenet. “He is ready to end his career, so we will try to end it on a big race, that’s what he deserves.

“He has had great career and that’s why we don’t want to push him too far. A horse like him could go around every second Saturday, but we dare not push things beyond I think what he is ready for, and Humidor is very much the same.”

Kings Will Dream has won seven races and more than $1.3 million, headed by the G1 Turnbull S. and Listed Mornington Cup. He has also placed in the G1 Makybe Diva S., Turnbull S., Memsie S. and CF Orr S.

Humidor’s nine-win, $4.4 million career features victories in the G1 Australian Cup, Makybe Diva S. and Memsie S., with another nine Group 1 placings including two Cox Plates.

Cup on Amade’s radar

On the comeback trail after a long stint on the sidelines with injury, Amade (Ire) (Casamento {Ire}) won impressively at Flemington on Sunday and now has the G1 Melbourne Cup on his horizon.

The winner of the G2 Belmont Gold Cup in New York in June 2019, Amade wasn’t seen again until his fourth placing in the G3 Easter Cup at Caulfield on April 3. The 7-year-old stepped out again on Sunday and scored a strong victory in the William Newton VC H. over 2600 metres.

“It’s been a long trip with this horse,” trainer Phillip Stokes said. “A big thank you to OTI Racing for giving him to us.

“He won the Belmont Gold Cup in New York, then he went amiss. He did a pelvis, he did a tendon, it’s been a very big rehabilitation with 12 months off the scene. We’ve just brought him along slowly.

“I’m probably going to have to send him to the paddock for a break now and try and set him for a Melbourne Cup.”

Llanhennock's black-type treble

The Hawkins family’s Llanhennock Trust have celebrated a black-type double within the space of 24 hours this weekend.

Their home-bred mare Mai Tai (NZ) (Atlante) scored her first black-type win with a quality performance in Sunday’s Listed Anzac Mile at Awapuni, a day after the Listed Princess S. at Doomben was won by Easifar (NZ) (Pride of Dubai), who the Hawkins family bred and sold to Woppitt Bloodstock for $220,000 at the 2019 Magic Millions Gold Coast Yearling Sale.

“It’s been absolutely amazing and something we couldn’t dream of,” Sean Hawkins told NZ Racing Desk. “It’s very special to get that win with Mai Tai, as she was a foster foal and has a special place in the hearts of all of our staff here on the farm.

“And we were just thrilled for Easifar. She tries so hard in her races, so she deserved to get a good win.

“Debbie (Kepitis) has a mare or two with us and this filly is from a really well-related family, so with that black-type win, she has another well-credentialed broodmare prospect when she finishes her career on the track.”

Saturday's G1 All Aged S. winner Kolding (NZ) (Ocean Park {NZ}) was also bred at the Hawkins family's Wentwood Grange by long-time client Warren Pegg, and sold through their draft at the New Zealand Bloodstock National Yearling Sale.

Sad losses for Australian Bloodstock

Leading syndicators Australian Bloodstock have endured a gut-wrenching weekend, losing both Shraaoh (Ire) (Sea the Stars {Ire}) and Collide (GB) (Frankel {GB}) within the space of 24 hours.

Trainer Chris Waller reported on Twitter that the 2019 Sydney Cup winner Shraaoh died overnight during colic surgery. The 8-year-old won four of his 28 starts and earned more than $1.6 million in stakes.

The Kris Lees-trained Collide had to be euthanised after breaking his hind leg while getting up after rolling in his box. He was the winner of six of his 19 starts, headed by the Listed Grand Prix du Departement in France. He also placed in last month’s Listed Randwick City S.

Pike in limbo

Border measures introduced because of Perth’s snap Covid-19 lockdown have cast doubt on William Pike’s interstate itinerary over the coming weeks.

The champion Western Australian jockey is booked to ride Sisstar (Zoustar) in the G1 Robert Sangster S. and Flexible (Hallowed Crown) in the G1 Australasian Oaks at Morphettville next Saturday, then was set to make his Queensland riding debut the following weekend aboard Fifty Stars (Ire) (Sea The Stars {Ire}) in the G2 Hollindale S. on the Gold Coast.

However, current border measures require travellers from Perth to undergo 14 days of quarantine.

Monday is intended to be the final day of Perth’s three-day lockdown.

Stradbroke possible for Love Tap

A trial at Rosehill could put Love Tap (Tapit {USA}) on course for black-type targets during the Brisbane winter carnival.

An impressive winner of four of his five starts, the 3-year-old gelding missed the autumn because of a hock injury.

“He is going really well, but we will find out a bit more on Tuesday,” co-trainer Richard Freedman told Racenet. “He had a hock injury, so had to stay in the paddock for a while and had a long break between runs, but he looks good.

“He might be a horse suited to a race like the Gunsynd (Classic). If he freshened and won his first start brilliantly, we might think about running him in a Stradbroke, but he would have to impress.”

Persan disappoints

A post-race examination of Persan (Pierro) may unearth an explanation for the quality stayer’s disappointing performance at Flemington on Sunday.

The winner of the G3 Bart Cummings and fifth in the Melbourne Cup in the spring, the 4-year-old finished a well-beaten fourth as favourite in the William Newton VC H.

"Something will come up, I'm sure," co-trainer David Eustace said. "His bloods going into the race were fine, and his work going into the race was good, but something will come up.

"For the first three-quarters of the race we were happy, and to be honest, it looked like he was going to quicken past them and he didn't."

Persan’s main autumn target is the Listed Andrew Ramsden S. at Flemington on May 16.