Magical

Cassandra Go (Ire) (Indian Ridge {Ire}-Rahaam, by Secreto), the winner of the G2 King's Stand S. and an influential producer, has died aged 25 at Ballyhimikin Stud. Bred by John McKay, Cassandra Go was purchased by Trevor Stewart for 82,000gns as a foal through the BBA at the Tattersalls December Sale of 1996. Stewart sent her through the ring as a yearling at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale, but opted to retain her at 200,000gns. Sent into training with Geoff Wragg, Cassandra Go was soundly beaten in her lone start...

A total of 39 horses representing Hong Kong, Japan, Ireland and France were entered and barriers drawn Thursday morning for Sunday's HK$95 million Longines Hong Kong International Races meeting at Sha Tin Racecourse. Although Boniface Ho's Classique Legend (Aus) (Not A Single Doubt {Aus}) has yet to win a race at Group 1 level--he is a multiple Group 2 winner in Australia--he is one of the marquee horses of this year's HKIR, having arrived in Hong Kong on the back of a dominating victory in the A$15-million The Everest at...

It has been 12 months since Ballydoyle's Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) was just beaten to the wire by Japan's Win Bright (Jpn) (Stay Gold {Jpn}) in the G1 Longines Hong Kong Cup, but that outfit's globetrotting Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) will try to turn the tables as the marquee name among 15 foreign raiders for the Longines Hong Kong International Races at Sha Tin Racecourse Sunday, Dec. 13. No fewer than 17 international Group 1 winners are set to compete. "The Longines Hong Kong International Races is firmly established...

MG1SW Magical ((Ire) (Galileo {Ire}--Halfway to Heaven {Ire}), by Pivotal {GB}), runner-up behind Tarnawa (Ire) (Shamardal) in the Nov. 7 GI Breeders' Cup Mile at Keeneland, has remained in training and is expected to make her next start in the G1 Hong Kong Cup at Sha Tin Dec. 13. Earlier this season, the 5-year-old mare won the G1 Irish Champion S., G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup and the G1 Pretty Polly S. "She ran very well in America, we were very happy with her at the Breeders' Cup," said trainer Aidan...

Well, we know that such Europeans as have been able to make the trip--another lockdown began in England on Thursday--won't be in the slightest danger of catching anything on the dirt track. If we can meanwhile break the shackles of the pandemic as well, maybe someone might feel sufficiently liberated finally to have another go next year. But at least the raiders should again be in the thick of things over on the grass. Now that the Breeders' Cup returns to Kentucky, moreover, they will be expecting an especially congenial...

Eclipse Award winner Maximum Security (New Year's Day), GI Kentucky Derby hero Authentic (Into Mischief), GI Belmont S. victor Tiz the Law (Constitution), Swiss Skydiver (Daredevil), who beat the boys in the GI Preakness S. and European star mare Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) are among the over 200 horses entered for the Breeders' Cup World Championships to be held at Keeneland Race Course Friday and Saturday, Nov. 6 and 7. Maximum Security makes his first appearance at the Breeders' Cup and is one of an imposing trio in the $6-million...

Aidan O'Brien has 12 Breeders' Cup trophies on his mantle, and he sends a typically strong team to Keeneland next week with numerous chances to bolster that number. Among the heavyweights are 2020 Group 1 winners Mogul (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who will attempt to give their trainer a sixth win in the GI Breeders' Cup Turf. The 3-year-old Mogul earned his first top-level victory in the G1 Grand Prix de Paris on Sept. 13 with the G1 Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe second In Swoop...

Let's not forget, however great the lure of the sales ring or a wafting cheque book may be, thoroughbreds are bred to race. In the case of Prince Khalid Abdullah, Coolmore and Peter Brant, it could be said that we have three owner-breeders who are somewhat immune to commercially-based decisions when it comes to keeping a horse in training. Nevertheless, they are to be commended for racing on mares of the calibre of Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}), Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and Sistercharlie (Ire) (Myboycharlie {Ire}). At 'only' five, Magical...

Avoiding her arch-foe Enable (GB) (Nathaniel {Ire}) at Ascot, Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is kept to home soil to extend her awe-inspiring record in domestic races in Sunday's G1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at The Curragh. With the race open to 3-year-olds in this unusual year but drawing only one which is her stable's Armory (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), Coolmore's mare supreme looks to have a straightforward task in accomplishing a ninth success from 12 starts in Ireland. Her latest, in the course-and-distance G1 Pretty Polly S. June 28, was arguably her...

It has been quite a week for the old boys. Continuing a fine season, Way To Paris (GB) (Champs Elysees {GB}) finally notched a deserved Group 1 victory for himself and his trainer Andrea Marcialis in the Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud. At seven, he is a year younger than the sprinting duo of Limato (Ire) (Tagula {Ire}) and Judicial (Ire) (Iffraaj {GB}) who respectively recorded their 14th and 15th victories in Group 3 contests at Newmarket and Newcastle on Saturday. Then of course there's the redoubtable Caspian Prince (Ire), who...

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...

The G2 Mooresbridge S. at The Curragh on June 13 is shaping up as an exciting contest pitting many of the season's most anticipated older horses against one another. Among the entries for the 10-furlong contest are last year's leading middle-distance 3-year-olds Japan (GB) (Galileo {Ire}) and Anthony Van Dyck (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), last year's G1 Irish St Leger winner Search For A Song (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), the 2018 G1 Irish Derby victor Latrobe (Ire) (Camelot {GB}), globetrotting Group 1 winner Magic Wand (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) and the high-class Madhmoon...