Arqana Sale-Topper Wins Group Two Ribblesdale

Tara Madgwick - Friday June 22
The top lot at the 2016 Arqana August Yearling Sale when fetching 1,400,000 euros, stunning Galileo filly Magic Wand proved her worth on the track with a stylish win in the Group II Ribblesdale Stakes (1m4f) at Royal Ascot.

Magic Wand was the star of the show at Arqana August in 2016Trained by Aidan O'Brien and ridden by Ryan Moore, Magic Wand was a last start fourth in the Group I Epsom Oaks behind her stablemate Forever Together and ran out an easy four length winner.

She may now get the chance to emulate the success of her three-quarter sister Chiquita, who won the Group I Irish Oaks.

"Forever Together might go back to the Pretty Polly, and Magic Wand might go to the Irish Oaks, and then they both might head for the Arc or something like that," said Aidan O'Brien.

"Nothing is set in stone but we did feel the ground was a factor in Epsom. That doesn't mean that if it comes again she might not act on it but I think it was a factor. We were hoping that on good ground she'd be the filly we saw in Chester."

Magic Wand runs for the Coolmore partners and  is from stakes-winning Dansili mare Prudenzia, who comes from the family of Champion 3YO Filly Alexandrova and 2017 Melbourne Cup winner Rekindling.

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