As the winner of six races and over $2.6 million in prizemoney, Magic Time has been a remarkable mare for connections and trainer Grahame Begg believes she has returned to work better again.
The dual Group 1 winner will kick off her latest campaign in Saturday’s Expressway Stakes (1200m) at Randwick, on the way to chasing a third major in the Canterbury Stakes (1200m) at Randwick in three weeks.
“We earmarked the Canterbury Stakes for Magic Time but I just felt she needed to have a run before she went into a Group One,” Begg said.
“Going into Group Ones first-up is pretty hard on them. You just need that little bit more seasoning.
“She only had a very light spring. She had the three runs. That was always the plan and then gear up for the autumn.”
While Magic Time handles all conditions she particularly enjoys rain-affected ground and Begg is banking on Sydney experiencing a typically wet autumn to aid her cause.
He is also buoyed by the manner in which the five-year-old has returned, declaring her at the peak of her powers.
“I think she is maybe a touch better. The way she looks, her condition and the way she has presented in her jump outs and barrier trial, she seems to be right on top of her game,” he said.
In view of that, Begg is keeping all options on the table with races like the All Aged Stakes (1400m), which she won last year, and even the Doncaster Mile (1600m) on the table.
Stablemate Kundalini will also resume at Randwick in the Group 3 Triscay Stakes (1200m) as Begg bids to add a black-type win to the well-bred mare’s resume.
Group placed at her first campaign for the stable in the spring, he is optimistic she can raise the bar again.
“She is just starting to come into her own,” Begg said.
“I really believe that the I Am Invincibles are better as they get older, rather than as young horses. She ran in an (Inglis) Millennium and ran well against horses like Learning To Fly. She is a good talent.
“She’s had a jump out and trial over 1000-metres. She’s got a little bit of improvement to come but she is in good order to run well.”
A former top trainer in Sydney, Begg has enjoyed great success with his harbour city raids since relocating to Victoria in 2016, plundering stakes races with the likes of Magic Time, Passive Aggressive and Written By.
