Magic Time (+500) has produced a stunning turn-of-foot to secure her second Group 1 victory, claiming the All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick on Saturday afternoon.
Michael Dee continued his association with the daughter of Hellbent after a tough performance in the Group 1 TJ Smith Stakes (1200m) on April 6, recapturing her best, similarly to when she bloused her rivals in the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes (1400m) at the end of her spring campaign.
The race was set up perfectly for the four-year-old mare, managing to find a stalking position mid-field throughout the journey.
The speed map was thrown out early in the race as James McDonald decided to send Private Eye (+1100) to the front, launching across from barrier 10.
The Mick Price & Michael Kent Jnr-trained Amenable (+4000) elected to sit to his outside, while Chain Of Lightning (+550) and Sunshine In Paris (+400) got into the slipstream behind the leading pair.
Espiona (+400) and Southport Tycoon (+550) both dragged back, unable to handle the testing conditions when asked for the ultimate effort.
When the whips were cracking, Amenable quickly put away Private Eye, who would have to settle for third, while Magic Time was only starting to build the revs late, launching over the top to record a terrific win for the Grahame Begg barn.
“She's been a beauty,” said Begg, speaking post-race.
“Each run has just brought her on. This was our main goal, getting to the All Aged Stakes. Her Newmarket run was good. Then in the TJ Smith, she just drew down on the inside but it brought her on and she was spot-on today.
“Her 1400-metre record is outstanding. She's got a great will to win. She's had a great prep. The staff have looked after her very well. I've got to thank Mr (John) Muir and Trish Muir. Michael Dee, what a great ride.
“We were thinking about going to Brisbane but we'll just have to re-assess everything. She's a great mare. She's got an unbelievable record for such a lightly raced horse and she never fails to deliver.”
Michael Dee was happy with the win and credited the mare for her toughness and ability to settle in the run.
“It worked out well,” said Dee.
“She jumped well. We were able to get cover, albeit being wide, and then I was happy because we could just work into it. I was pretty confident a long way out but with the ground how it is now, I wasn't sure about the 100m mark. But she dug deep. It was a super effort.
“She's a dream to ride. She does everything you ask of her. She's certainly a race day horse. In trackwork she's pretty unassuming and she doesn't usually work that well in trackwork. But come race day, she really switches on.”