By Tom Frary
Playing host to a Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) in full swing, Sunday's G1 Alwasmiyah Pretty Polly S. at The Curragh was as good as over after less than a furlong as Seamie Heffernan committed to front-running duties on the returning 2-5 favourite. Kept in training for good reason, the G1 English and Irish Champion S. and G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup heroine of 2019 showed no mercy to her opposition and took off heading to two out en route to a 4 1/2-length dismissal of the 3-year-old Cayenne Pepper (Ire) (Australia {GB}), with 1 3/4 lengths back to Fleeting (Ire) (Zoffany {Ire}) in third.
Of all Magical's achievements, her record on Irish soil is formidable, with 11 runs at Cork, Naas, Leopardstown and here yielding eight wins including this romp. Two of her domestic reversals came as a 2-year-old, while the other was in the 2018 G1 Matron S. over an inadequate mile, so when it comes to home advantage the 5-year-old is as close to unopposable as it gets. Busy in England during this period last term, she was finishing runner-up in the G1 Prince of Wales's S. and the G1 Eclipse S. prior to her victorious autumn spell.
“She's very exciting and always has been, but she's got stronger this year and that's why the lads decided to leave her in training,” Aidan O'Brien said. “She was to go to No Nay Never. We could have gone to Sandown [for the Eclipse], but this was a lovely race to start her off. We'll probably let Japan go to Sandown–he's had a run. We'll look at the King George for her next. We learned last year that she gets 10 really well and gets 12 as well. It makes her very uncomplicated. You usually see a big change between three to four, but something really strange happened the way she changed over the winter to this year. It's very obvious the power she has now. She had been working brilliantly, but we knew that she would come on plenty as well. The Irish Champion Stakes and the Arc are all races that are open to her.” Amazingly, this was the first time that Heffernan has partnered Magical and he was happy with the opportunity. “I thought she was a steering job and she's bang there with all the good ones I've ridden,” he commented and everything is still there. She's a mile-and-a-half filly for me.”
Magical is by the excellent producer Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Pivotal {GB}), who herself won the G1 Irish 1000 Guineas, G1 Nassau S. and G1 Sun Chariot S. All her progeny to date are by Galileo, including the triple group 1-winning Rhododendron (Ire) and the G3 International S. winner Flying the Flag (Ire) with her youngest being a yearling colt. Halfway To Heaven is in turn the leading performer for the triple group-winning sprinter Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}), whose other black-type winners include Theann (GB) (Rock of Gibraltar {Ire) who in turn produced the GI First Lady S. and GI Rodeo S. heroine Photo Call (Ire) from a mating with Galileo and the G2 Richmond S. scorer Land Force (Ire) (No Nay Never). This outstanding dynasty also features the notable sire Verglas (Ire) and the G1 Melbourne Cup hero Cross Counter (GB) by Galileo's son Teofilo (Ire).
Sunday, Curragh, Ireland
ALWASMIYAH PRETTY POLLY S.-G1, €200,000, Curragh, 6-28, 3yo/up, f/m, 10fT, 2:12.29, gd.
1–MAGICAL (IRE), 138, m, 5, by Galileo (Ire)
1st Dam: Halfway To Heaven (Ire) (Broodmare of the Year-Ire, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Ire & G1SP-Fr, $941,139), by Pivotal (GB)
2nd Dam: Cassandra Go (Ire), by Indian Ridge (Ire)
3rd Dam: Rahaam, by Secreto
O-Derrick Smith; B-Orpendale, Chelston & Wynatt (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien; J-Seamus Heffernan. €120,000. Lifetime Record: Hwt. 3yo-Eur at 11-14f, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 9.5-11f, Hwt. Older Mare-Ire at 11-14f, MG1SW-Eng & GISP-US, 22-10-6-0, $4,456,271. *Full to Rhododendron (Ire), Hwt. 2yo Filly-Ire, Hwt. Older Mare-Eur at 7-9.5f, MG1SW-Eng, G1SW-Fr, GSW & G1SP-Ire, GISP-USA, $1,786,763; Flying the Flag (IRE), GSW-Ire & GSP-SAf, $195,702. Werk Nick Rating: A+++ *Triple Plus*. Click for the eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Cayenne Pepper (Ire), 126, f, 3, Australia (GB)–Muwakaba, by Elusive Quality. (195,000gns Wlg '17 TATFOA). O-Jon Kelly; B-GHS Bloodstock & JC Bloodstock (IRE); T-Jessica Harrington. €40,000.
3–Fleeting (Ire), 138, f, 4, Zoffany (Ire)–Azafata (Spa), by Motivator (GB). (€50,000 Wlg '16 ARQDEC; €100,000 Ylg '17 ARAUG). O-Susan Magnier, Michael Tabor & Derrick Smith; B-Fernando Bermudez (IRE); T-Aidan O'Brien. €20,000.
Margins: 4HF, 1 3/4, 3HF. Odds: 0.40, 7.00, 5.00.
Also Ran: True Self (Ire), Roca Roma (Ire). Click for the Racing Post result or the free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
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