Galileo's Magic Wand Makes All In Cheshire Oaks

The evidence of the past week suggests that Aidan O'Brien's 3-year-olds are starting to crank into top gear now and the well-supported maiden Magic Wand made all to justify favouritism in this increasingly-significant Epsom Oaks trial. Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) last year followed where Light Shift (Kingmambo) had left off in 2007 in going on to glory in that Classic and a race which was once in decline and seen as largely irrelevant as a guide to Epsom has had new life breathed into it of late thanks to Ballydoyle's concentration on Chester as a key part of the learning curve. Ryan Moore had partnered two of the last three winners of this for the stable and rarely calls it wrong even though Magic Wand had the least notable form of the stable trio with just two maiden outings at Leopardstown–when seventh in October and third on her comeback Apr. 16–to go on.
Keen to exploit the all-important stall one, Moore sent the €1.4million half-sister to the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}) into an early advantage against the fence and it could be argued that by the time she had made her way around the first turn it was already decided. Green the whole way around this tight circuit, the bay began to turn the screw on her rivals from six out and by the time she turned for home for the final time was in the clear and safe from danger. Fellow Ballydoyle challenger Forever Together, who also attracted support in the market, was stuck in a pocket on the inner turning in but once freed by Seamie Heffernan stayed on in eye-catching fashion to provide her stable and sire with another one-two at a meeting at which they both excel. “That was very smooth–she got away well and was looking around in front,” her rider commented. “This was a big step up from her last run and she'll carry on improving–these fillies at this time of year should be improving and I'm sure she will.” Kevin Buckley, Coolmore's UK representative, added, “She's a big, scopey filly and will have learned a lot there. Ryan got a really good feel from her. As a half-sister to Chicquita, you'd think she'd have no problem staying further, so it bodes well for Epsom, trip-wise. That performance definitely puts her in the picture.” Of the runner-up, he continued, “We were very pleased with her, that was just her first run of the year. She's a sister to Together Forever and you'd have to be happy. Donnacha was very complimentary about her.”
Aidan O'Brien's sixth winner since 2008 has a pedigree which commands total respect, with Chicquita arguably unfortunate not to have more than just an Irish Oaks to her name. Very few Classic winners have run through rails in their build-up race, but that is exactly what the former Alain de Royer-Dupre trainee did at Saint-Cloud in 2013 prior to finishing second-best to Treve (Fr) (Motivator {GB}) when still errant in the G1 Prix de Diane a month on from that drama. She was far from straightforward even in success in the Curragh Classic afterwards and following her transfer to this stable continued to show kinks when throwing away a winning chance in Ascot's G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. in 2014. Despite being well aware of her temperament, Coolmore had paid €6million for her at Goffs November when Paul Makin dispersed his bloodstock and they were keen to acquire this half-sister at Arqana August 2016. Their listed-winning dam is a product of Lady O'Reilly's breeding operation and is a half to another daughter of Montjeu in the G3 Prix de Lutece winner and G2 Prix Chaudenay third Pacifique (Ire). The second dam, Platonic, was bought from Luca Cumani's Fittocks Stud for just 100,000gns at the 1999 Tattersalls December auction which represented a snip as a descendant of that operation's star mares Puce and Souk (Ire) (Ahonoora {GB}). The latter was responsible for several star descendants and a few who raced with distinction for Ballydoyle, most notably the G1 English, Irish and Yorkshire Oaks heroine Alexandrova (Ire) (Sadler's Wells) and her full-brother Masterofthehorse (Ire) who was runner-up in the 2009 G3 Chester Vase here before finishing third in the G1 Epsom Derby won by Sea the Stars (Ire). Souk is the second dam of Golden Sword (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}), who beat Masterofthehorse in the aforementioned Vase prior to running second in the G1 Irish Derby. His full-brother Rekindling (GB) achieved his own measure of immortality in November as hero of the G1 Melbourne Cup for Joseph O'Brien, representing another landmark moment for the O'Brien clan now so tied up with this particular thoroughbred dynasty. Prudenzia's 2016 filly also by Galileo was bought for €950,000 by Mayfair Speculators, Peter and Ross Doyle and M V Magnier also at Arqana August, while her yearling colt by Muhaarar (GB) is certain to attract keen attention if he goes to auction this year.

Wednesday, Chester, Britain
ARKLE FINANCE CHESHIRE OAKS (FOR THE ROBERT SANGSTER MEMORIAL CUP)-Listed, £75,000, CHE, 5-9, 3yo, f, 11f 75yT, 2:28.61, gd.
1–MAGIC WAND (IRE), 126, f, 3, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Prudenzia (Ire) (SW-Fr), by Dansili (GB)
2nd Dam: Platonic (GB), by Zafonic
3rd Dam: Puce (GB), by Darshaan (GB)
1ST BLACK-TYPE WIN. (€1,400,000 Ylg '16 ARAUG). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Markus Jooste; B-Ecurie des Monceaux & Skymarc Farm Inc (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £42,533. Lifetime Record: 3-1-0-1, $59,410. *1/2 to Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}), Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 11-14f, G1SW-Ire, G1SP-Eng & Fr, $859,094.
2–Forever Together (Ire), 126, f, 3, Galileo (Ire)–Green Room, by Theatrical (Ire). (€900,000 Ylg '16 GOFORB). O-Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith & Susan Magnier. £16,125.
3–Princess Yaiza (Ire), 126, f, 3, Casamento (Ire)–Undertone (Ire), by Noverre. (€18,500 RNA Ylg '16 TIRSEP). O-L H LaRoche. £8,070.
Margins: 3HF, HF, 5. Odds: 3.00, 5.50, 9.00.
Also Ran: Shailene (Ire), Shaherezada (Ire), Hazarfiya (GB), Dramatically, Here's Alice (Ire), Award Winning (Ire), Kinaesthesia (GB). Click for the Racing Post result. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.