Slipper bid unlikely for Legh’s Magic Pago Pago favourite
Leading owner reveals his $2.5 million Snitzel colt likely to bypass stallion-making race even if he wins Group 3 today
Despite winning several battles to have the exciting Magic (Snitzel) tantalisingly close to the Golden Slipper Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m), senior owner Rupert Legh yesterday revealed that the colt is almost certain to miss the world’s richest two-year-old race even if he qualifies by winning today’s Pago Pago Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m) at Rosehill.
It was a fight to buy the magnificent-looking chestnut in the first place, with the old Chautauqua team of Hawkes Racing and Legh making him top lot at last year’s Inglis Easter sale, at $2.5 million. Of the 1765 live foals the great Snitzel (Redoute’s Choice) had left to that point, this one – the second from the Group 1 winner Rising Romance (Ekraar) – was the Arrowfield legend’s second most-expensive.
It was an ordeal to secure such a distinctive name to be considered worthy of the colt, who Legh is already framing as a potential Cox Plate (Gr 1, 2040m) type for this spring. The gargantuan Melbourne-based owner had to argue his case to the Racing Australia registration authorities several times until ‘Magic’ was cleared, owing to similarities with existing horses.
And it was another battle to have him ready for the autumn’s short-course two-year-old events en route to the Slipper. Rising Romance’s Group 1 was, after all, the Australian Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m). And the first foal of the staying mare – who was also second in a Caulfield Cup (Gr 1, 2400m) among seven Group 1 placings – is Magic’s big sister Yearning, winner of last spring’s Thousand Guineas (Gr 1, 1600m), before a fourth in the Wakeful Stakes (Gr 2, 2000m).
After two spring barrier trial placings, Magic was spelled for further development, and his long-awaited debut came only on February 19 in Rosehill’s Silver Slipper Stakes (Gr 2, 1100m), ridden by William Pike.
Though he was heavily backed late – Legh said he couldn’t believe $30 had been on offer about the colt after his trackwork and trials – this was one occasion when the pairing of Magic and Wizard didn’t work. Pike dismounted after steering the $18 shot to within half a length of Best Of Bordeaux (Snitzel), and told Legh he’d erred in “chasing the bias” four horses wide rather than staying inside.
Second place left Magic – bought and raced by a syndicate with a stud career in mind – 41st on the order of entry for next Saturday’s 16-horse Slipper, the $5 event that’s also Australia’s greatest stallion-maker. This means he needs victory today to secure a ballot-free Slipper berth.
But after today, Legh said Magic will likely be saved for the longer ATC Sires Produce Stakes (Gr 1, 1400m) on April 2 regardless of today’s result, for which he’s a short favourite at around $2.20 over Annabel Neasham’e Deep Field (Northern Meteor) colt Sweet Ride ($5).
“Never say never, but it’s unlikely he’d go to the Slipper,” Legh told ANZ Bloodstock News. “The plan is to go to the Sires.
“We just think the Slipper is a really tough race on young horses. Some horses can back up in the spring after running in those tough two-year-old races, but we believe Magic’s more of a 1400 to 1600-metre horse, and we don’t want to punish him. It’s how we manage our horses.
“If we really thought he was a precocious, get-up-and-run horse, physically really for that sort of battle, you would do it. But you’ve got to leave it up to the experts. If John Hawkes thought he was physically and mentally ready for a Slipper, he’d run him. But if he elects to go to the Sires’, he’s done it to protect the horse.”
Legh said another consideration was he and Team Hawkes already have a confirmed Slipper starter in Capitalist (Written Tycoon) colt Sebonack, a $26 chance after a Caulfield Group 3 win on debut followed by a strong fourth in the Blue Diamond Stakes (Gr 1, 1200m).
In any case, considering Magic’s progress so far, Legh is excited with the early hints that this return dabble in dizzyingly-priced colts – often an exercise in kissing frogs – may have hit the target for his stud-minded syndicate, which includes breeders Arrowfield and Japanese behemoth Katsumi Yoshida.
“We think he’s what we bought – a pretty special horse,” said Legh. “The good thing is his temperament matches his physique. You need that. The last thing you want to do is buy a $2.5 million gelding.
“All indications are he’s well behaved. He walks around like a five-year-old gelding, which is good because they conserve their energy and put it into racing, which is great because we know how much ability he’s got, which he showed the other day.
“In the early days, they can run over the shorter distances, but John puts him more in the miler-plus category. I think if we’re looking at the spring he’d be more of a Guineas horse and ultimately might get to 2000 metres. Fingers crossed, and I don’t like saying it so early, but he might be a Cox Plate horse.”
Magic flashed home late to almost pull off a stunning win on debut at Rosehill. It was the track’s first meeting since the controversial Expressway Stakes day, held on a Good 3 track favouring the rail. This time, on a Soft 6, notions emerged that the best place to be in the straight was away from the fence.
“Willy said to me, ‘Rupe, I got it wrong. I just should’ve stayed on the fence but I was chasing the bias and got that wrong’,” Legh said. “I love that kind of honesty. You don’t want to hear excuses. People can over-read bias, and that’s what cost him on the day.”
While it seems surprising such a beautifully simple name such as Magic was available, it had become free last August 1 – the required 17 years after the birth of the last one in 2004, a moderately performed son of High Rolling (Snippets) who left for Malayisa at three.
Legh said his registration, though in early, was rejected because of the existence of a Melbourne horse foaled in 2017 named O’Magic, and a Perth galloper named Mr Magic born in 2008.
The financier and former policeman prosecuted his case at a higher level, was asked to tender a written argument, and after some time, a final committee granted his request. His point was that if O’Magic and Mr Magic could have their names within 17 years of the earlier Magic being around, then their existence shouldn’t preclude another Magic being named.
“It took a fair degree of work but I was determined. I wasn’t going to lay down and just take it, because getting a horse like that, you want to make sure he has a name to fit the horse,” said Legh, adding he didn’t bother thinking about a second option for what may be a star colt.
“We’ve bought a lot of expensive horses. Doesn’t mean they’ll be your best. You can look at a horse physically and you think you know him mentally, but you can get horses with all the ability in the world but they don’t want to be racehorses, and we’ve had a lot of those. And we’ve had cheap horses and all they want to be is racehorses.
“But Magic has displayed all the signs that he wants to be a racehorse from very early days.”
Legh has a ‘big day at the office’ scheduled today. He’s salivating over the chances of Masked Crusader (Toronado) in the Newmarket Handicap (Gr 1, 1200m), where the gelding will be stepping from the unsuitable 1000 metres of the Black Caviar Lightning Stakes (Gr 1, 1000m), where he finished fifth.
“There was no tempo in that race and he was in the wrong part of the track,” Legh said. “The bigger field will mean more pace, and they’ll hear him coming in that extra 200 metres at the end.”
And among other starters in Melbourne and Sydney, Legh’s also a part-owner of the exceptionally bred Sir Bailey – the first crop son of Darley’s dual Group 1 winner Impending (Lonhro), and first foal of triple Group 1 winner Jameka (Myboycharlie) – who’s favourite for Flemington’s VRC Sires’ Produce Stakes (Gr 2, 1400m) at his third start.
Gilgai Farm’s Rick Jamieson, who bred Jameka among many more, told ANZ early last year he was thrilled by owner Colin McKenna’s decision to put the staying mare to sprinter Impending – looking deep into their pedigrees in Jamieson’s renowned style – and the proof was there early for Legh.
“I saw Sir Bailey when he was six months old at Gilgai and rang Colin and said I’d love to be a part of it,” Legh said. “It’s only his third race start. But he seems a very intelligent horse and he’s picking things up quickly. He’ll be thereabouts tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, senior owner Rob Crabtree is more hopeful than confident She’s Extreme (Extreme Choice) can win a place in the Slipper by taking the last fillies’ qualifier, the Magic Night Stakes (Gr 3, 1200m), at Rosehill.
Crabtree had sent his former star mare, Blue Diamond winner Catchy (Fastnet Rock), to Extreme Choice, but when she, like many others, failed to get in foal, he bought She’s Extreme instead, splitting the $275,000 bill with trainer Anthony Cummings last Easter for the daughter of dual Perth-winning mare Keysbrook (So Secret).
“Extreme Choice is a terrific stallion but it’s hard to get a positive pregnancy, so we did the next best thing and bought into one,” Crabtree told ANZ.
“Barrier 11 worries me, but if she wins, and she tells us she’s ready for the Slipper, we’re entered and ready to go.”