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By Ray Hickson

Trainer Graeme Begg was never fixated on sending his classy mare Magic Time into the TAB Everest but keeping the door ajar for it to happen led him to his first runner in the world’s richest race on turf this Saturday.

Trainer Grahame Begg (Pic: Bradley Photos).

And it’s somewhat fitting that the former Randwick trainer's debut in the Group 1 $20 million TAB Everest (1200m) is with Magic Time given the mare is virtually an honorary Sydneysider.

Twelve of the six-year-old’s 22 starts have been in the Harbour City including her biggest win, the 2024 Group 1 All Aged Stakes, so Begg planned her spring to allow her to be peaking third-up if the opportunity presented.

As it happened, shortly after her third placing in the Manikato Stakes, the Inglis slot became available and a deal was done for Magic Time to take her place.

“It just eventuated that she got into the race,” Begg said.

“We aimed her up as far as a preparation was concerned to give her spaces between runs and if it evolved and happened she was going to be in the right place.

“That’s why she had a month between the Cockram and the Manikato and it gave us a three week buffer to come up to Sydney.

“Her Sydney form has been exemplary, whenever we’ve taken her there she’s always run well.”

Of her 12 starts in Sydney, Magic Time has raced on Begg’s former home track at Randwick 10 times for seven top three finishes including three wins.

While Ka Ying Rising looms large over the race if he brings his best form to Randwick, Begg said his mare has all the right form around those next in the market to suggest she’s far from a longshot.

She beat Joliestar in the Expressway Stakes over the Everest course earlier this year and finished a couple of lengths behind Briasa in the TJ Smith and Jimmysstar in the All Aged.

“She hasn’t been that far away from them, the last two TJ Smiths she’s been beaten two lengths both times and that’s the next best race in Sydney,’’ he said.

“We’re very happy with her, she’s hit her straps at the right time.

“She was a bit wintry going into her first start so we knew there was improvement to come and from the Manikato she’s bounced through that.”

Michael Dee will also be having his first TAB Everest experience when he partners Magic Time and Begg has added blinkers to her gear looking for that extra boost.

He welcomes the inclusion of the likes of Overpass and Mazu to inject some tempo into the race and so long as she doesn’t draw gate one he’s not concerned about where she jumps from.

“She’s a better horse on the outside of runners, she always has been,’’ he said.

She's a magical mare 🪄

Magic Time returns with a bang in the Group 3 Cockram Stakes, storming over the top under Micky Dee! pic.twitter.com/3yfvKliYXE

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) August 30, 2025

Magic Time's first-up win in the Cockram Stakes (Video: 7HorseRacing on X)

“If you go through her form, every time she’s won she’s been on the outside of runners barring when she won the Expressway and she barged through.

“It’s going to be a fast run race, she’ll be ridden patiently to be last man standing. It’s going to bring those horses into the race and we’d just like some clean air.”

It’s likely that Magic Time is in her last season of racing, she was purchased by Yulong just under a year ago with the view to eventually sending her to their stallion Alabama Express.

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