Vega Magic has shown he will be a force this Spring
Vega Magic has shown he will be a force in the first Group One race of the season after carrying a big weight to a first-up win in the Regal Roller Stakes at Caulfield.
The former Perth sprinter won the Group One Goodwood (1200m) in Adelaide in his first start for the Lindsay Park stable in May and resumed in Saturday’s Listed race over the same distance with 60.5kg, bringing up a winning treble at the meeting for the stable.
The gelding sat three-wide near the speed and strode to the lead early in the straight before Japanese import Brave Smash emerged with a big finish after getting through on the inside.
Brave Smash ($3.40) dashed at Vega Magic ($2.70) who responded to get home by a long neck, while third-placed Santa Ana Lane ($15) another 4-1/4 lengths away.
Vega Magic’s co-trainer David Hayes said the $1 million Group One Memsie Stakes (1400m) in two weeks is the immediate target for the gelding and believes he will run a huge race.
He then hopes to freshen Vega Magic with a view to the sprinter snaring a slot in the $10 million Everest in October at Randwick.
“I really think he’s come on. I reckon he’s a really, really classy horse,” Hayes said.
Jockey Damien Oliver said Vega Magic did a good job to carry the weight and then hold Brave Smash out at the finish.
Brave Smash’s jockey Damian Lane said the horse ended up in an awkward position after a slow beginning.
“He should have blown them away,” he said.
