Aidan O’Brien described Magical as “the ultimate racehorse” after a typically resolute success in the Gr1 Champion Stakes gave the trainer his first success in the race on Saturday. “Every day, she wakes up with a total clean sheet,” O’Brien said. “She accepts everything on the chin and says what do you want me to do today? It’s internally with her, it’s her mind. She never says no.”
The feature event on Champions Day was Magical’s ninth start of the season, just a fortnight after finishing fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe, and while the decision to switch the race to the hurdles track meant that the going was soft rather than heavy, it was still demanding enough to suck the enthusiasm from any horse sensing the end of a long campaign.
Magical, though, never looked likely to yield her lead after hitting the front under Donnacha O’Brien more than a furlong out. Addeybb stayed on to finish a three-quarter length second, with the Japanese mare Deirdre, back in third. It was the fourth Group One win of her career and even now, Magical may not be done for the season as a return to the Breeders’ Cup meeting for the Filly & Mare Turf is under serious consideration.
“She’s totally sound, mentally and physically,” O’Brien said. “Her mind is incredible. I think a mile-and-a-quarter is her ideal trip, but she gets a mile-and-a-half because of her class.
Flying The Flag at Bush Hill Stud. Image: Candiese Marnewick
“The Arc was a strongly run race and she has come out of that and won here. She handles ease in the ground, she goes on fast ground, what can you say? The lads [in the Coolmore syndicate] will decide if we go to the Breeders’ Cup with her [but] if you asked her, she’d be delighted.”
Magical was a close second behind Enable in the Turf last year and would face another stern opponent in Chad Brown’s Grade One-winner Sistercharlie, the defending champion in the Filly & Mare Turf, if she heads to Santa Anita on 2 November. She is top-priced at 11-4 to round off her season with an extra flourish, while Sistercharlie is a 9-4 chance.
Magical’s win put the seal on an excellent afternoon for Donnacha O’Brien, who took over aboard his father’s main runners on the card after Ryan Moore, the stable jockey, made the long trip to Australia for an ultimately fruitless attempt to win a valuable race in Sydney overnight.
Flying The Flag’s first crop are now unraced 2yo’s and he has three lots on offer at the upcoming Emperors Palace Ready To Run Sale.
Well done to Bloomhill Wartburg for being the winning breeders in the opening race at the Vaal with the filly Gold Agent,: Gold Standard – Oochee Agent who won a great race under Savanna Valjalo for trainer Paul Matchett and owners Bryan & Taryn Spong. You can watch the race replay here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6auD-iYmqPQ. Thanks…
1-2 For KZN In Swallow Stakes The 2013 Gr2 SA Fillies Nursery winner Virgo’s Babe bounced back to her best at Turffontein on Tuesday evening. The daughter of Malhub confounded the form when powering home to win the R150 000 Listed Swallow Stakes run over the 1160m, reports sportingpost.co.za. Virgo’s Babe had first risen to…
As Chairman of KZN Breeders Club I was invited by the new owner of Summerhill Stud, Henning Pretorius to visit the farm and have the opportunity to know his vision for the future of Summerhill. Accompanied by KZN Breeders Club secretary Candiese, we had a meeting with Henning who has a vision of Summerhill once…
Mick Goss and the team at Summerhill Stud have achieved an outstanding accolade of National Leading Breeder for the 10th time – nine of those consecutively, after the final curtain came down on the eLan Gold Cup race day, yesterday at Greyville.
Almosthaditall, who made South African breeding news headlines when she sold for a sales topping R2,4-million to Rathmor Stud, is at home in Nottingham Road in foal to Noble Tune, with an outstanding Dynasty colt at foot.
Clifton Stud produced the rare feat of not only having two half siblings in a feature race, but both horses placing for trainer Tony Rivalland. Crusade gelding Prince Of Taranto, a five year old gelding out of Casey’s Dance by Mullins Bay, placed a fast finishing second to the winner and ran out of his…