The script didn’t go to plan but Magic Time has still managed to open her latest campaign with a win, showing an explosive turn of foot to take out the Expressway Stakes at Randwick.
The mare didn’t begin as well as anticipated and found herself worse than midfield with a wall of horses around her and nowhere to go in the straight.
A gap finally appeared around the 150m mark and a patient Jordan Childs sooled Magic Time ($2.90) through it, the Grahame Begg-trained five-year-old savaging the line to nail Iowna Merc ($8) by a half-neck with Joliestar ($2.05 fav) another neck away third with the betting apps favourite a little disappointing.
“On paper we thought she’d land outside the leader or be right there, but she just got away a little bit sticky and I didn’t want to press her to hold a spot because she can get a little bit fired up, especially being fresh,” Childs said.
“I had to go to Plan B. We ended up in a sticky spot. She always gave me a feel that once I did get out she was going to explode.
“But I had to wait my turn and trust her and when she did get out she was just too good for them.”
A two-time Group 1 winner, Magic Time will have her next start in the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick in three weeks before connections determine her longer-term autumn target.
Begg has nominated her for a host of races, including the All Aged Stakes (1400m) which she won last year, and the Doncaster Mile (1600m).
“We brought her here because we thought she’d get some give in the ground,” Begg said.
“She’s effective on top of the ground as well but getting cut in the ground, if it gets wetter as the autumn goes on, well she is going to come right into play.
“She goes to the Canterbury Stakes in three weeks’ time. We earmarked she would run today, three weeks into her next start and then we’ll work it out from there. She is entered for everything she can be in.”
Favourite Joliestar looked to be left flat-footed when the field sprinted but stuck to her task in a solid return.
“She ran great. It was just a case of not a lot of tempo and I wasn’t able to get her switched off with any cover,” Kerrin Mcevoy said.
“Look for her to improve and with better running next time she’s going to be hard to beat.”
