By Tom Frary
Aidan O'Brien entered this Champions Day with his least convincing cast in some time, but Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made sure the outfit went home with something major as she registered an impressive display in the G1 Qipco British Champions Fillies & Mares S. Not disgraced when 10th in the Arc 13 days ago, the 5-1 shot travelled with ease throughout before swooping on the even-money favourite Lah Ti Dar (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}) passing the two-furlong pole and readily asserted for a length verdict over Coronet (GB) (Dubawi {Ire}), with Lah Ti Dar 3/4 of a length away in third. “We really fancied her for the Oaks, but she had a little setback then and when she ran in the Arc Wayne [Lordan] rode her and loved her,” the Ballydoyle trainer said. “She had been working lovely and Ryan was always going to take his time on her and she relaxed lovely. The lads will decide what's next, but the Breeders' Cup is a possibility.”
Magical had put herself at the forefront of the Ballydoyle juvenile fillies when winning the G2 Debutante S. under Donnacha last August, but she had to give best by a short head to Happily (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) after Ryan Moore jumped ship with O'Brien junior again the beneficiary. Fourth in the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Chantilly and G1 Fillies' Mile at Newmarket the following month, the bay was again in that position on her return in the G3 Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp Apr. 15. Due to start favourite for the June 1 G1 Epsom Oaks, she picked up an issue shortly beforehand and was next seen taking The Curragh's G2 Kilboy Estate S. over nine furlongs July 22. Fourth in the G1 Matron S. over an inadequate mile at Leopardstown Sept. 15, she was one of the better closers in the Arc where she was beaten just over five lengths in total.
Cruising throughout this contest under perfect cover against the rail in contrast to the wide-running Lah Ti Dar, Magical was always going to pick up that rival once the gap opened at the top of the straight but she had to truly see out the mile and a half as the proven stayer Coronet bore down late. “We had a very nice trip through the race and the ground made a big difference to her,” Moore explained. “She was a very good two-year-old but never quite managed to win one of these even though she had run a lot of good races. She had a wide draw in the Arc, but showed she gets a mile and a half there and with a bit of cut in the ground here she showed she is a high-class filly.”
John Gosden's momentum was only temporarily halted in this race, but in saddling both the second and third it could hardly be called a setback. He said of Coronet, “She was forced wide by the draw, she got a clear run and ran an absolute blinder but full credit to the winner. The other filly [Lah Ti Dar] ran a super race, but as you can see from looking at her, she's big and rather unfurnished and is a next-year filly when she'll be bigger and stronger. She will be put away until next year, while Coronet is going to Italy–assuming she comes out of this race in good order–for the [G1] Premio Lydia Tesio [at the Capennelle Nov. 4].” Lah Ti Dar's owner-breeder Lady Lloyd Webber added, “I thought she might win it at one stage, but we haven't seen half of her yet. Just wait until next year, as all of that family make better four-year-olds. Her mother Dar Re Mi was placed in a couple of Group 1s as a three-year-old, but she didn't win one, but at four she won the Pretty Polly Stakes and the Yorkshire Oaks, and then at five she won the Dubai Sheema Classic. Lah Ti Dar and her brother Too Darn Hot will both winter with John, as they are too valuable to come home to Watership Down. Too Darn Hot is a completely different type and too exciting to talk about, but the whole thing has been just fantastic.”
Magical just continued the fairytale for her dam's bloodlines, with the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. heroine Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}) also responsible for Galileo's triple group 1-winning Rhododendron (Ire) and the G3 International S. scorer Flying the Flag (Ire). With a yearling filly by that sire to follow, she is out of the triple group-winning sprinter and G1 July Cup runner-up Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}) whose other black-type winners are the G3 Abernant S. and G3 Sandown Sprint S. winner Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}) and the G3 Summer S. winner Theann (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire). She in turn threw the GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo S. heroine Photo Call (Ire) from a mating with Galileo, and this year's G2 Richmond S. scorer Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never). Cassandra Go is kin to the G3 Coventry S.-winning and G1 Irish 2000 Guineas-placed late successful sire Verglas (Ire) (Highest Honor {Fr}) from an amazing family which was also recently updated by the G3 Gordon S. winner Cross Counter (GB) (Teofilo {Ire}).
Saturday, Ascot, Britain
QIPCO BRITISH CHAMPIONS FILLIES & MARES S.-G1, £600,000, Ascot, 10-20, 3yo/up, f/m, 11f 211yT, 2:33.28, sf.
1–MAGICAL (IRE), 125, f, 3, 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
1ST GROUP 1 WIN. O-Derrick Smith, Susan Magnier & Michael Tabor; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Ryan Moore. £340,260. Lifetime Record: MGSW-Ire & G1SP-Ire, 11-4-2-0, $786,506. *Full to Rhododendron (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-US, $1,741,071; 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–Coronet (GB), 131, f, 4, Dubawi (Ire)–Approach (GB), by Darshaan (GB). O/B-Denford Stud Ltd (GB); T-John Gosden. £129,000.
3–Lah Ti Dar (GB), 125, f, 3, Dubawi (Ire)–Dar Re Mi (GB), by Singspiel (Ire). O-Lord Lloyd-Webber; B-Watership Down Stud (GB); T-John Gosden. £64,560.
Margins: 1, 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 5.00, 6.00, 1.00.
Also Ran: Kitesurf (GB), Hydrangea (Ire), God Given (GB), Broadway (Ire), Pilaster (GB), Sizzling (Ire), Flattering (Ire), Bye Bye Baby (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree. Video, sponsored by Fasig-Tipton.
Not a subscriber? Click here to sign up for the daily PDF or alerts.
