Vega Passes Everest Audition

[Wandering Eyes]

Vega Magic (Aus) (Lope de Vega {Ire}) put a last-out eighth in the G1 Goodwood H. firmly behind him on Saturday with a commanding win in Caulfield’s G3 Bletchingly S. The win is expected to put the 5-year-old gelding high up in the reckoning for the three remaining slots for The Everest, in which he was second last year.

Pulling his way to the lead after the opening furlongs, the chestnut turned for home with a two-length advantage under Damien Oliver and drew clear under a hand ride. Oliver gave him one slap inside the final furlong as Voodoo Lad (Aus) (I Am Invincible {Aus}) closed in vain, but the favourite hit the line three lengths the best.

Winning trainer David Hayes told Racing.com, “Current form is the most important and when he gets into form, he holds his form. I think [owners] the Daly family will be doing deals [for The Everest] over the next couple of weeks.”

Hayes said Vega Magic would take the same path he did to last year’s Everest via the 1400 metre G1 Memsie S., which he won in 2017.

Saturday, Caulfield, Australia
BLETCHINGLY S.-G3, A$150,750, MRC, 7-28, Open WFA, 1200mT, 1:10.18, Good.
1–VEGA MAGIC, 58.5, g, 5, by Lope de Vega (IRE)
1st Dam: Admirable, by Magic Albert
2nd Dam: Starglow Express, by Danewin
3rd Dam: Starlight Express, by Century (AUS)
O-H W Daly & G E Daly; B-Mr HW Daly WA; T-D & B Hayes & T
Dabernig; J-D Oliver; A$90,750. Lifetime Record: MG1SW-Aus,
22-13-3-1, A$3,597,300. Werk Nick Rating: A++. Click for the
eNicks report & 5-cross pedigree.
2–Voodoo Lad, 58.5, g, 6, I Am Invincible–O’Fortuna, by Gilded
Time (USA). (A$36,000 Ylg 2013 WI Scone Yearling Sale)
O-Segenhoe Thoroughbreds Australia (Mgr: K W Maloney), Est
Of The Late N Leckie, D Anderson & P W Blackburn; B-Mr N
Leckie NSW; T-D K Weir; J-M Zahra; A$27,000.
3–Jungle Edge, 58.5, g, 7, Dubawi (Ire)–Jungle Girl (NZ), by
Carnegie (IRE). O-I D Dunkley, Mrs M D Strickland, G K Wilson,
Mrs J I Wilson, Mrs B J Bell, P J Bow, Mrs J A Hayes, J A Hayes, J
M Conroy, B A Conroy, P Orlandi, I Daire, M A Bell, M J Holt &
Mrs Y; B-Mr C Strickland NSW; T-M A Bell; J-K Forrester;
A$13,500.
Margins: 3.0 len, 4.3 len, 5.6 len. Also Ran: Black Heart Bart, Crystal Dreamer, Jukebox. Click for the Racing Post result. Click for the free Arion.co.nz catalogue-style pedigree.

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