By Tom Frary
Building on her debut third at Leopardstown last month, Ballydoyle's Ecstatic (Jpn) (Lord Kanaloa {Jpn}–Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) made experience count with an impressive win to become the stable's latest TDN Rising Star in Friday's Irish Stallion Farms EBF Fillies Maiden at Tipperary. Positioned on the tail of the leader early by Ryan Moore, the 2-1 second favourite was sent to the front passing two out and powered clear for an emphatic 3 1/4-length success from Lush Lips (GB) (Ten Sovereigns {Ire}), with Juddmonte's highly-regarded and well-supported 6-5 favourite Continuite (GB) (Frankel {GB}) half a length away in third.
“Ryan was delighted with her, he loved her when he rode her the first day and said she'll stay,” Aidan O'Brien said. “She came forward from her first run. He didn't think she was slow, but thought she would get a mile and a quarter next year and be a middle-distance filly. She has a super pedigree and is going to be better at three. We always thought she was going to be very smart as a 3-year-old and we have plenty of fillies for the [G2] Debutante and can go gently with her now, as she is a big filly. We won't over-face her. There are a lot of our [2-year-old] fillies looking high-class at the moment and they are coming out of their races great too.”
As Aidan O'Brien alluded to, Ecstatic is one for the future rather than being about precocity so this represented a major step up from her battling third on her racecourse bow behind Juddmonte's promising Swelter (GB) (Kingman {GB}) over a mile. Her illustrious dam Magic Wand didn't race until October of her 2-year-old season and won for the first time in the Listed Cheshire Oaks over 11 furlongs the following May before hitting the heights.
Successful in the G1 MacKinnon Stakes, G2 Ribblesdale Stakes and G2 Lanwades Stud Stakes, Magic Wand was placed nine times at the highest level including when runner-up in the Hong Kong Cup and two renewals of the Pegasus World Cup Turf Invitational. Bought for €1.4million at 2016 Arqana Deauville August, she held a significant genetic advantage over her peers from the get-go being a daughter of the Listed Prix de la Seine winner Prudenzia (Ire) (Dansili {GB}) who had already produced the G1 Irish Oaks heroine Chicquita (Ire) (Montjeu {Ire}).
Chicquita, who was also purchased by Coolmore for €6 million, has produced three stakes performers headed by the G2 Curragh Cup winner and G1 Goodwood Cup runner-up Emily Dickinson (Ire) (Dubawi {Ire}), while Prudenzia is also responsible for Dubawi's G3 Prix Penelope scorer Philomene (Ire) who like Chicquita was second in the G1 Prix de Diane.
The third dam Platonic (GB) (Zafonic), the Fittocks Stud homebred connected to a host of stars including Ballydoyle's Alexandrova (Ire) and Masterofthehorse (Ire) by Sadler's Wells, is responsible for the smart English King (Fr) by Montjeu's Camelot (GB) and Montjeu's Pacifique (Ire) who took the G3 Prix de Lutece before producing another winner of that race in Paix (Ire) (Muhaarar {GB}). In a saga that seems to endlessly unfold, Prudenzia's full-sister Prudente (Fr) is the dam of last year's G2 Debutante Stakes winner Vespertilio (Fr) (Night Of Thunder {Ire}) who has been runner-up in the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes and third in the G1 Poule d'Essai des Pouliches.
The second foal out of Magic Wand is a yearling full-sister to the winner, with her 2024 colt being by Gun Runner. She has been bred to Justify this year.
3rd-Tipperary, €18,000, Mdn, 8-9, 2yo, 7f 100yT, 1:37.12, g/f.
ECSTATIC (JPN), f, 2, by Lord Kanaloa (Jpn)
1st Dam: Magic Wand (Ire) (G1SW-Aus, GSW & MG1SP-Ire, GSW-Eng, MG1SP-Fr, G1SP-HK, MGISP-US, $4,802,433), by Galileo (Ire)
2nd Dam: Prudenzia (Ire), by Dansili (GB)
3rd Dam: Platonic (GB), by Zafonic
Lifetime Record: 2-1-0-1, $13,638. Click for the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith & Mrs John Magnier; B-Coolmore Stud (JPN); T-Aidan O'Brien.
One for the notebook 👀
Ecstatic (Lord Kanaloa x Magic Wand) wins at the second attempt under Ryan Moore for Aidan O'Brien in the @IrishEBF_ Fillies Maiden at @tipperaryraces 🔵🟠@Ballydoyle | @coolmorestud pic.twitter.com/YrCEivTQJO
— Racing TV (@RacingTV) August 9, 2024
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