Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg is keeping hopes alive that his star mare Magic Time could secure a slot in the $20 million The Everest at Randwick on October 18.
With only three slots still available, Magic Time shapes as an appealing contender. The six-year-old boasts two Group 1 victories, including the 2024 All Aged Stakes (1400m) at Randwick, and has an outstanding record of finishing in the top three in 14 of her 22 starts. Five of her career wins have been at 1200m, and she has proven herself effective on all track conditions.
Begg said while no official approaches have been made yet, the door remains open.
“There has been no offers but you wouldn’t rule it out,” Begg said. “She’s in line. If something was to come, she’s in line because there’s a three-week buffer to that race, it gives us time to get her up to Sydney. She never runs a bad race.”
Magic Time resumed this spring with a classy win in the G3 Cockram Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 30 before finishing third in last Friday night’s G1 Manikato Stakes at The Valley, 2.3 lengths behind Charm Stone.
Begg was pleased with her latest effort and feels the mare is nearing her peak.
“She went super. He (jockey Michael Dee) thought she didn’t get around The Valley all that great; coming around the turn, she got her head up a little bit and didn’t get really balanced up until she flattened out and switched over to her right leg,” Begg said.
“She’s going in the right direction. I just reckon the last 10 days she’s really started to hit her straps. She’ll head up to Sydney in about a week and we’ll work out where we go from there.”
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