Aidan has a Magic touch

O’brien’s mare to cast her spell in Tattersalls

MAGIC WAND, fourth to Ghaiyyath in the recent Eclipse at Sandown, will represent Aidan O’brien in the Group 1 Tattersalls Falmouth Stakes in Newmarket tomorrow.

The globe-trotting, five-year-old mare, above, opened her 2020 campaign with a smooth win in the Lanwades Stud Stakes at the Curragh.

That Group 2 event was over the same one mile trip as her target tomorrow when her main rival will be Terebellum, representing the Godolphin/john Gosden and Frankie Dettori combination.

Also tomorrow, More Beautiful will be the Ballydoyle representative in the Group 2 Duchess Of Cambridge Stakes for two-year-old fillies.

Elsewhere, O’brien will have runners in both Newmarket and York today, with Cormorant, winner of the Derrinstown Stud Derby Trial at Leopardstown, representing the Ballydoyle/

Coolmore operation in the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Dante Stakes in York, with James Doyle on board.

Ryan Moore will ride O’brien’s runners at Newmarket’s three-day July meeting, kicking off with recent Limerick winner Dawn Rising in the Bahrain Trophy (Group 3) and Swiss Ace, successful on his debut in Tipperary, in the Group 2 Tattersalls July Stakes.

On Saturday, Southern

Hills will be

O’brien’s runner in the July

Cup, also the target for

Denis Hogan’s

Sceptical.

Meanwhile, narrow winner of the Rockingham at the Curragh, Kieran Cotter’s Strong Johnson might be capable of completing a hat-trick and defying the handicapper in the Bohermeen Handicap in Navan today.

A real sprinter and built like a tank, Strong Johnson beat subsequent winner Son And Sannie on his seasonal bow at headquarters last month and, off a 9lb higher mark, followed-up in the Rockingham pipping Jungle Jane and Urban Beat.

The mount today of Shane Foley, Strong Johnson must cope with a further 7lb hike and faces a tough task. But he’s open to further improvement and gets the vote to score again. Earlier, Half Nutz, who got trainer Sheila Lavery off the mark for the season when scoring readily in Limerick, might click again in the Gormanlough Apprentice Handicap, in which he’ll be ridden by Shane Crosse, inset.

The Sir Prancealot gelding was tanking throughout the Limerick race in which he beat Funny Little Ways. And a rise of 9lb might not prevent him going in again. Johnny Murtagh’s Taggalo, a close third to Big Gossey at the Curragh, looks the obvious threat.