Leading Sydney jockey James McDonald may not have seen the last of a colt he and his uncle bred and sold at the Karaka sale.

Damion Flower paid $180,000 for the yearling bred by ex-pat New Zealander McDonald and Alan Powell and the colt will head to trainer Gerald Ryan at Rosehill.

Powell, a dairy farmer, said he had hoped to get $100,000 for the colt by Power out of Redoute's Choice mare Belle Chanteclair sold as part of the Brighthills Stud draft.

"We thought he would sell well and were hoping for $100,000 so it's a great result," Powell said.

"We lease the mare from Sir Peter Vela and she's got a Cape Blanco foal and she's in foal to Tavistock."

Brighthill's Nick King said a family connection had led them to prepare yearlings for McDonald and Powell.

"James and his brother Luke went to school with our kids Benji and Harry and they played rugby together," he told NZ Racing Desk.

"We sold a Cape Blanco for them last year for $75,000 and the interest in the Power colt had been huge.

"James is obviously an outstanding jockey and he's a pretty good breeder as well."

A four-time premier jockey in New Zealand before the age of 20 and winner of the 2013/14 Sydney title, the now 24-year-old McDonald is Godolphin's retained rider in Australia.