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.
“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.
“Sean Tarry raised the bar from last term and set a new record for winners in a season when the Mullins Bay mare Wukkin’ Up enjoyed a beautifully judged ride from the front to win the R150 000 Listed Off To Stud Stakes at Greyville on Saturday.”
Flying The Flag has had his first winner this afternoon at Fairview for breeder Lee Scribante, owned in partnership with Lee’s brother and bred by the Scribante’s Piemonte Stud. Bought back at the 2019 KZN Yearling Sale for R15 000, the chestnut filly is a half-sister to Black Type and multiple winner Aloysius and placed…
Gary and Colleen De Klerk have welcomed their first foal of the season, beautifully bred by Vercingetorix out of Ahlaam by former Mike De Kock super star, Asiatic Boy. The Black Type Ahlaam (ARG) (translated in Arabic meaning Dream) is a 5-time winner, and previously produced a filly by Dynasty. She placed 12 times including a Listed race. This…
BSA Ready To Run Gallops At Yellow Star Stud The BSA Ready To Run sale Gallops were held at Yellow Star Stud on Thursday, which saw KZN’s pretrainers Balmoral, Far End, Ambleway and Yellow Star put their catalogued horses through their paces in front of enthusiastic buyers from across the country. Balmoral top the vendors…
Carpocrates’ Sibling Sold At Fasig-Tipton Select Sale Carpocrates had a three-quarter brother (Lot 96) sell at the Fasig-Tipton Select Yearling Sale yesterday for $650 000 to Whitehorse Stables. The chestnut colt is by Giant’s Causeway (by Storm Cat as is Carpocrates) out of champion racemare Spain, herself by Thunder Gulch. The yearling colt is a…
110 KZN-breds will be represented at the National Yearling Sale this year, including the half-siblings to two Gr1 winners – Wild One and Talktothestars. Stakes Winners by KZN Sires or KZN-Bred horses include
Africa Rising, Champagne Haze, The Elmo Effect, Bold Viking, Daring Diva, Anna Pavlova, Patchit Up Baby, Dawn Calling, Matador Man, Alareef, London Call, Romany Prince, Scandal, Intergalactic, Bezanova, Rikitikitana, Beach Goddess, Chilli Con Carne, Angels Power, O Tamara, Talktothestars, Rabada, No Worries and Celestina.