Champion and MG1SW Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}-Halfway to Heaven {Ire}, by Pivotal {GB}) has been retired, Coolmore announced via Twitter on Tuesday. She will join the Coolmore broodmare band, but a 2021 stallion has not been decided upon. In her latest start, the 5-year-old finished third in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup on Dec. 13 for trainer Aidan O'Brien.
“Brilliant seven-time Group 1 winner Magical (Galileo) has been retired and will join the broodmare band at Coolmore Stud,” the tweet read. “Mating Plans [are] yet to be decided.”
Bred by Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt, the May-foaled bay raced for Derrick Smith, Mrs. John Magnier and Michael Tabor. As a juvenile, she won the G2 Debutante S. and was second by only a nose in the G1 Moyglare Stud S. She continued to progress at three, with a win in the G2 Kilboy Estate S. in July of 2018 and an October score in the G1 QIPCO British Champions Fillies & Mares S., her first top level win before a second in the GI Longines Breeders' Cup Turf at Churchill Downs to end her season.
In 2019, Magical was only out of the first two once in nine starts and added victories in the G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup, G1 Irish Champion S., and G1 QIPCO Champion S. besides an additional pair of group wins. She also ran second thrice at the Group 1 level. This term she saluted in her second Tattersalls Gold Cup, besides the G1 Pretty Polly S. and another Irish Champion S. from seven racecourse appearances. Magical also played the bridesmaid in her second Breeders' Cup Turf this November. She retires with a mark of 28-12-8-2 and $6,200,713 in earnings.
O'Brien told PA: “She was a great filly, she ran at the very top level all the time until she retired. She was ultra-consistent and just an amazing filly, really. She travelled a lot. She won three Group Ones this year and I was delighted to have her again this year, it was a brave decision of the lads to keep her in training.
“The days that stand out are the Champion S.. She was amazing, she always turned up. She was tough, she was consistent and had a super mind and was very sound. Her mum (Halfway To Heaven) was a queen, she was a queen and she was by Galileo, so I suppose you could call him the king. It would be exciting to train her offspring.”
Highweighted in England and Ireland in 2018 and 2019, Magical is a daughter of G1 Irish 1000 Guineas heroine Halfway to Heaven, who also landed the G1 Nassau S. and G1 Kingdom of Bahrain Sun Chariot S. Magical is the fifth foal out of Halfway to Heaven and is also a full-sister to European highweight and MG1SW Rhododendron (Ire) and group winner Flying the Flag (Ire).
Halfway to Heaven, herself a half-sister to group scorers Theann (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire}) and Tickled Pink (Ire) (Invincible Spirit {Ire}), was purchased by agent Demi O'Byrne for Coolmore for €450,000 out of the 2006 Goffs Orby Million Sale. Magical's second dam is the blue hen and MGSW Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), placed in the G1 July Cup.
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