Magical Extends Unbeaten Run This Season

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Magical (4f Galileo - Halfway To Heaven, by Pivotal) continued an excellent few days for connections when justifying favoritism in Monday’s Group 2 Coolmore Highland Reel Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh.

An impressive winner of the Group 3 Alleged Stakes on her seasonal return last month, she once again raced over ten furlongs under Ryan Moore. Racing behind the leader, Group 1 winning stablemate Flag Of Honour (Galileo), for much of the way, she made good headway in the straight to lead over a furlong from home. Pushed out inside the final furlong, she scored by a length and a half in comfortable fashion, leaving runners-up honours to the longtime leader, with just a neck back to The King (Mastercraftsman) and the same distance from Latrobe (Camelot).

O’Brien later commented on the winner, “I'm delighted with her and we're thinking of coming back here for the Tattersalls Gold Cup. She's coming along lovely. They went a good gallop today.”

Magical, like the previous day’s 1,000 Guineas heroine Hermosa, is by Galileo and out of a Pivotal mare. Bred by Orpendal, Chelston and Wynatt, she is a full-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Rhododendron and Group 3 victor Flying The Flag, while their dam Halfway To Heaven was a triple Group 1 winner herself.