Magic result: Sales ring flop takes out All Aged Stakes
By Chris Roots
There wasn’t a bid for Magic Time when she walked through the sale ring as a yearling, leaving breeder John Muir to take her back home to Milburn Creek – and he’s glad he did.
The four-year-old Hellbent mare is now a two-time group 1 winner after taking out the All Aged Stakes at Randwick on Saturday.
Michael Dee urges Magic Time past Amenable (rails) and Private Eye.Credit: Getty
Magic Time revelled in the heavy conditions and got over the top of Amenable in final few bounds to add the All Aged Stakes to her Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes win in the spring.
“I took her to Magic Millions and didn’t get a bid, so she came home with us. She was too good of a horse not too,” Muir said.
“Next time she is in the ring, I’m sure she will get a few bids on what she has done on the racecourse.
“She’s a special horse, and we’re not finished yet because there are some nice races for her in Brisbane and in the spring.”
With her two group 1 wins coming at 1400m, Brisbane’s Stradbroke Handicap and the Tatt’s Tiara at that trip appear ideal group 1 targets for Magic Time.
“We were thinking about going to Brisbane but we’ll just have to reassess everything. She’s a great mare,” trainer Grahame Begg said. “She’s got an unbelievable record for such a lightly raced horse and she never fails to deliver.
“This was our main goal: getting to the All Aged Stakes. Her Newmarket run was good. Then in the TJ Smith, she just drew down on the inside, but that run brought her on and she was spot-on today.”
Magic Time ticked every box for the All Aged Stakes on a wet track, having won twice at the distance previously and once on heavy ground at Randwick.
Michael Dee rode Magic Time three wide with cover behind a four-way duel for the front coming to the turn that included Private Eye and Amenable.
“I just said to Mick before the race, just keep her comfortable. Get her in a good rhythm and help her as much as possible,” Begg said. “It was going to be very trying conditions, but she’s got a great will to win.”
Amenable had dashed for home at the 300m when Dee pulled Magic Time to the centre of the track, and she had some work to catch him but showed her class.
“She jumped well. We were able to get cover, albeit being wide, and then I was happy because we could just work into it,” Dee said. “I was pretty confident a long way out but with the ground how it is now, I wasn’t sure about the 100m mark. But she dug deep. It was a super effort.”
Magic Time ($6.50) scored by a long neck from Amenable ($51). Private Eye ($12) was brave on a track where he wasn’t at his best and held on for third 2¾ lengths further back.
Chad Schofield thought Amenable was the winner when he sprinted coming off the rise.
“He found a beautiful rhythm outside the leader [Private Eye], and when he came off the bridle and quickened well, I thought we were the winner,” Schofield said. “He just felt it late with the mare a bit stronger on the line.”
It was once again Melbourne-trained horses dominating another group 1 in the the All Aged, which ended up being the last race of the Sydney autumn carnival when the final two races of the afternoon were abandoned.
Jockeys and stewards decided the track was not suitable to race on after constant rain throughout the day resulted in Randwick going from a slow five rating to a heavy10 by the start of the All Aged Stakes, which was race eight on the program.
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