Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
A MAGICAL MOMENT
Difficult to see any outcome other than a back-to-back victory
BIDDING for a sixth Group 1 success, Magical is impossible to oppose in tomorrow’s Tattersalls Gold Cup at the Curragh.
Aidan O’brien decided in midweek to avoid sending the five-year-old mare for another clash with arch-rival Enable in the King George in Ascot today, preferring to pitch Japan, Anthony Van Dyck and Sovereign into that cauldron.
His decision should be rewarded as the remarkable daughter of Galileo and Halfway To Heaven tries to complete back-to-back victories in this event, traditionally a feature of Guineas weekend in May.
Last season, Magical registered three top-level victories, in the Irish and British Champion Stakes, at Leopardstown and Ascot, respectively.
She also landed this prize, when justifying 2/7 favouritism and slamming Flag Of Honour by seven lengths.
Runner-up to Enable in the Eclipse and Yorkshire Oaks, she finished behind
Waldgeist and Enable in the Arc before signing off for the campaign in the Qipco British Champion Stakes.
Already scheduled to be covered this year, she looked bigger and stronger than ever when making a successful return to action in the Group 1 Pretty Polly over this course and distance four weeks ago, making all and scampering home a clear winner from last week’s Irish Oaks runner-up Cayenne Pepper.
A three-time course and distance winner, Magical, with Wayne Lordan on board, appears to have a straightforward task and should land the €147,500 prize for Ballydoyle/ Coolmore.
Opposition includes two stable-companions, Sir Dragonet and sole threeyear-old in the line-up Armory, plus last year’s Irish St Leger heroine Search For A Song, bidding to get her career back on track.
But Buckhurst and Leo De Fury, course and distance winners of the Alleged and Mooresbridge respectively when last seen, should follow Magical home.
On the supporting card, Jim Bolger’s Na Blianta Beo, fourth to Lady Penelope in a listed event at Naas before failing narrowly to Pronouncement in a maiden on the same track, should open her account in the five-furlong maiden.
Pronouncement has since run creditably at listed and Group 3 level. And 92-rated Na Blianta Beo won’t get a better opportunity to open her account.
It’s hard to know whether the handicapper has got to grips with Winner Takes Itall, giving the J.P Mcmanus-owned gelding a mark of 88 following an impressive win in an older horses’ maiden at Gowran Park.
But I like this unexposed gelding’s prospects, on his handicap debut, in the competitive-looking Mongey Communications Handicap, in which the Jim Bolger-trained top-weight Halimi is among the chief dangers.
Beautifully-bred newcomers from Ballydoyle should be noted in the two-year-old maidens. But Jessica Harrington’s Palifico, narrowly beaten by A Ma Chere on debut, should go close in the fillies’ event.