Magical finish secures Championship Stakes

[Wandering Eyes]

Underrated three-year-old filly Moonlight Magic (NZ) (Almanzor) employed a barnstorming finish from last to secure a valuable stakes victory when she captured the Gr.3 Trelawney Stud Championship Stakes (2100m) at Ellerslie in spectacular fashion.

The Andrew Forsman-prepared daughter of Almanzor had been thereabouts in all of her recent racing without having much luck but ensured her maiden victory would be a memorable one in a race that will significantly boost her value when she eventually heads to the broodmare paddock.

Punters hadn’t missed her unlucky fourth at her most recent start when hampered in the home straight as she finished fourth in the Gr.3 Manawatu Classic (2100m), and sent her out a strong $3.80 second favourite on Saturday.

That inspired support looked in jeopardy when she trailed the field in last place for most of the journey, before rider Craig Grylls got busy on the filly approaching the home turn as she looped the field to make a long, sustained run.

Angled to the outside, Moonlight Magic produced an electric turn of foot at the 300m to burst clear and dash to a three-length victory over Solidify (NZ) (Redwood) with another Forsman runner in First Innings (NZ) (Contributer) charging into third.

Forsman admitted he had some mid-race questions for Grylls to answer if the filly hadn’t been successful.

“She deserved that as she has been desperately unlucky in some good races right the way through,” Forsman said.

“She is a good filly who will keep getting better.

“I had wondered what Craig was up to approaching the home turn and I thought he must have a lot of horse under him to take off like he did.

“I think they had gone steadily enough up front, and he had confidence in her to take off like that.

“It was just nice to see her get a good crack at it.”

Forsman is in a quandary as to whether to press on with his charge to a possible Queensland campaign or to back off her and get ready for spring racing.

“She has had a lot of racing now and hard racing over ground, but to her credit she seems to be thriving,” he said.

“We will just reassess now, see how she comes through the run and work it out.”

Grylls was pleased the filly could get the victory after being stopped in her tracks at her last start.

“Last time down at Trentham she was luckless as she got knocked over halfway down (the straight), but picked herself up for fourth,” he said.

“She should have been right in the finish that day.

“I was a little bit concerned how far back I was, but there was good speed and that played into her hands as we tracked to the outside and she had a really good turn of foot.”

Bred and raced by the Sunlight Trust, Moonlight Magic is out of the Encosta De Lago mare Japonica and comes from an extended family that includes triple Group One winner Serenade Rose (Stravinsky), the 2006 champion three-year-old filly in Australia along with dual Group One winner Trekking (Street Cry).

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