Quality mare Magic Time has won a stakes race every time she’s been sent to Sydney by Grahame Begg and with deteriorating conditions at Randwick on Saturday for the $1.5million ATC All Aged Stakes (1400m) the daughter of Hellbent powered out of the gloom to run down Amenable and win by half a length.
The heavy 10 conditions made for a tough slog and while the following two races to close the program were subsequently abandoned, Magic Time and Mick Dee made light work of the task.
Magic Time showed her versatility as she won the Group I MRC Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes last spring over 1400m on a good track and has the impressive record of six wins and two placings from 11 starts with prizemoney topping $2.1million.
Mick Dee has now won two Group I races on Magic Time this season.
“It worked out well. She jumped well. We were able to get cover, albeit being wide, and then I was happy because we could just work into it. I was pretty confident a long way out, but with the ground how it is now, I wasn’t sure about the 100m mark,” said Dee.
“She dug deep. It was a super effort.
“She’s a dream to ride. She does everything you ask of her. She’s certainly a race day horse. In trackwork she’s pretty unassuming and she doesn’t usually work that well in trackwork. But come race day, she really switches on.”
Magic Time carries the colours of her breeder, John Muir's Milburn Creek Thoroughbred Stud, after failing to make her $150,000 reserve at the 2021 Magic Millions.
She was sent to be trained by Grahame Begg, who has had past success for John and Trish Muir with multiple Group I winning mare Secret Admirer and has continued the tradition.
“She loves it!” said Grahame Begg in reference to the heavy track and testing conditions.
“Her run in the TJ, she drew down on the inside and that run was always going to bring her on as she hadn’t run for a month since the Newmarket and she was spot on today.
“I just said to Mick before the race ‘keep her comfortable and get her in a good rhythm and help her as much as possible’. We knew it was going to be trying conditions, but she has a great will to win this filly and it’s very exciting.”
Magic Time is the first foal of Group III winning Nicconi mare Time Awaits, whose two year-old colt by Dundeel was sold by Milburn Creek at Inglis Easter for $300,000 to Freedman Racing/Julian Blaxland.
Time Awaits has a yearling colt by Maurice (Jpn) that was withdrawn from Inglis Easter and is in foal to Hellbent’s sire I Am Invincible after missing to Wild Ruler.
Magic Time is now a two time Group I winner and is the highest stake earner for Hellbent, who is the leading Australian third season sire by earnings.
