Magical Is Just That With Easy Gold Cup Success

Magical (4f Galileo - Halfway To Heaven, by Pivotal) won Sunday’s Group 1 Tattersalls Gold Cup at her leisure, as the Aidan O’Brien-trained bay made it three from three this season.

Ryan Moore rode the favourite to track stablemate Flag Of Honour (Galileo), the pair going clear of their three rivals from halfway, with the sole mare in the field travelling well to dispute the lead two furlongs from home. Soon in front, she was pushed clear approaching the final furlong and extended her advantage to seven lengths with ease crossing the line. Flag Of Honour claimed runners-up honours for the third time this season, finishing four and three quarter lengths clear of the third horse.

Sunday marked Magical’s seventh career success, her first black-type victory coming in the Debutante Stakes at two, before adding the Group 2 Kilboy Estate Stakes and Group 1 Champion Fillies & Mares Stakes last year, ending the season with a close second to Enable in the grade 1 Breeders’ Cup Turf.

A delighted Aidan O’Brien later spoke of future plans, saying, “The plan made out was the three races and then see about Ascot for the Prince Of Wales. There is an autumn campaign and she has to have a break somewhere before maybe the Irish Champion and the Arc. It’s all stuff to dream about.”

Magical is a full-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Rhododendron (Galileo), out of the top-class racemare Halfway To Heaven, winner of three Group 1 races in her own right. She is a half-sister to Group 3 winner Theann (Rock Of Gibraltar), also known as the dam of dual Grade 1 winner Photo Call (Galileo), while the top-class Verglas features further down the page.