Latest News

By Ray Hickson

Trainer Grahame Begg is toying with taking luck out of the equation in an effort to put Group 1 winning mare Magic Time’s name back up in lights at Randwick on Saturday.

Trainer Grahame Begg. (Pic: Steve Hart)

It’s creeping toward a year since Magic Time’s last win in the All Aged Stakes last April and he's wary she was dictated to by the front running Belclare after drawing wide gates in her second placings in both the Invitation and Hot Danish Stakes in the spring.

So in what shapes as a tactical race in the Group 2 $300,000 Asahi Super Dry Expressway Stakes (1200m) he’d prefer that not happen again given a horse like Joliestar is expected to be charging at her.

“I can’t see any speed in the race,’’ Begg said.

“The only horse I thought possibly was the Irish horse (Givemethebeatboys), whether they want to be doing that first run in Australia I don’t know, but I can’t see much tempo in the race.

“She begins so brilliantly out of the gates and can be there, so it might be the plan to take the race by the scruff of the neck. I just can’t see anything booting up.”

Begg has his sights set on the Group 1 Canterbury Stakes (1300m) as Magic Time’s immediate aim and sees the Expressway as the ideal springboard into that race.

The five-year-old, $3.20 with TAB on Friday, was a Cranbourne trial winner on February 3 and Begg feels she’ll present pretty fit first-up, which could be important if overnight rain arrives.

“She’s prepped up well for Saturday’s race and I’m looking forward to it,’’ he said.

“She had a light spring so she only had a month off when she came back to Victoria.

“I feel in her appearance it’s the best I’ve ever seen her. She’s had a good jump out and a really nice barrier trial over 1000m.

“The idea of running on Saturday is because I think it’s hard for them to go first-up in a Group 1 race.

“It’s different if you’ve got a weight-for-age horse that has a long preparation, for a filly like her you’ve got to have a run under the belt going into the Group 1.”

Stablemate Kundalini returns to Sydney for the first time since joining Begg’s stable from Ciaron Maher in the Group 3 $250,000 Robrick Lodge Triscay Stakes (1200m) and she’s had a similar build up to Magic Time with a jump out and a trial.

The mare, who was a $1.7 million yearling, took a while to win a maiden but since that happened at Sale in August she’s continued to improve and Begg says the best is still ahead.

“I think she is a really progressive mare and she’s just starting to come into her own,’’ he said.

“She was asked to do a little bit as a young horse before she was ready to do it then lost her way a bit. She’s run well in every run we’ve given her.

Magic Time's last start second at Rosehill in November

“The aim is trying to get some black type for the owner because he did pay a lot of money for her.

“We’ve got a Group 3 placing but we’ve got to seal the deal and get a stakes win.”

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday’s Randwick meeting