By Tom Frary
After mixing it with Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Saturday's G3 Alleged S. at Naas represented far easier pickings for Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) but for the fact that she had a five-pound penalty, was meeting two domestic Classic winners and several other classy rivals. Added to that the fact that Ballydoyle often leave plenty to work on with their older horses on their seasonal returns and what resulted was affirmation that she is a quality performer who will be a force to be reckoned with in 2019. Always travelling well within her comfort zone off the strong pace in a share of third, the even-money favourite cruised by the G1 Irish St Leger hero Flag of Honour (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) with 1 1/2 furlongs remaining and drew away to win by 4 1/2 lengths. The same margin separated her stablemate and last year's G1 Irish Derby hero Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in what could only be described as a strong piece of form. “We are delighted with her–she did lovely into the autumn and had really turned into a four-year-old,” Aidan O'Brien said of the G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. heroine and GI Breeders' Cup Turf runner-up.
O'Brien is keeping options open for the time being for Magical, the latest in a long line of high-class fillies and mares to have thrived since the bolstering of the Pattern for the sex several years ago. “She has a lot of choices. There is the [G2] Mooresbridge [S. at The Curragh May 6] or the [G1 Prix] Ganay [at ParisLongchamp Apr. 28], then the [G1] Tattersalls Gold Cup [at The Curragh May 26],” he added. “Hopefully, she'll come out of this well and the lads will have a chat. The feeling is that she has done very well over the winter and there was not a lot between her and Enable in the Breeders' Cup last year. There is plenty of condition on her for improvement. We felt that we didn't really need to go the kind of distances we were running over last year with Flag of Honour and he could go up to a mile and a half or go to Navan for the [Apr. 28 G3] Vintage Crop if some of the other stayers aren't ready in time. If she wasn't there, he'd have been a very smooth winner.”
Ryan Moore added of Magical, “She is really high-class and her form was at a real high level last year, so hopefully she'll have a great year. At some point we'll have to take on Enable again.” Magical's lineage is well-documented and is one that has flourished under Aidan O'Brien's auspices, with the dam Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) performing heroics in the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. to further boost the credentials of her dam Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) who raced with much distinction for Geoff Wragg. In the past 12 months, this family has enjoyed glory in the G1 Melbourne Cup with Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}), G2 Richmond S. success with Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never) and a win in the G2 Prix Chaudenay with the ill-fated Brundtland (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}). Broodmare of the year in Ireland in 2018 courtesy of the efforts of Magical and her G1 Lockinge S.-winning full-sister Rhododendron (Ire), Halfway To Heaven also has a 2-year-old filly and colt foal by Galileo. With Magical missing last year's G1 Epsom Oaks due to a setback and Rhododendron possibly unlucky in the 1000 Guineas before meeting Enable in the Oaks, it could be that the dam's first Classic winner is just around the corner.
Saturday, Naas, Ireland
ALLEGED S.-G3, €65,000, Naas, 4-13, 4yo/up, 10fT, 2:14.44,.
1–MAGICAL (IRE), 131, f, 4, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Fr, $941,139), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. €38,350. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 11-14f, G1SW-Eng, G1SP-Ire & GISP-US, 13-5-3-0, $1,509,845. *Full to Rhododendron (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-US, $1,786,763; and Flying The Flag (Ire), GSW-Ire & GSP-SAf, $195,702. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Flag of Honour (Ire), 134, c, 4, Galileo (Ire)–Hawala (Ire), by Warning (GB). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Barronstown Stud (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €13,000.
3–Latrobe (Ire), 134, c, 4, Camelot (GB)">Camelot (GB)–Question Times (GB), by Shamardal. (€88,000 Wlg '15 GOFNOV; 65,000gns Ylg '16 TATOCT). O-Lloyd J Williams; B-Sweetmans Bloodstock (IRE); T-Joseph O'Brien. €6,500.
Margins: 4HF, 4HF, HF. Odds: 1.00, 12.00, 6.00.
Also Ran: Still Standing (Ire), Hazapour (Ire), Stellar Mass (Ire), Mustajeer (GB), Success Days (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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