Bag of Tricks

[Wandering Eyes]

With Ballydoyle’s presence spread out over the Classic trials, Magical (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}) is handed the responsibility of representing the stable in Sunday’s G3 Prix de la Grotte at ParisLongchamp. Successful in the G2 Debutante S. at The Curragh in August before playing second fiddle in the following month’s G1 Moyglare Stud S., she was fourth in both the G1 Prix Marcel Boussac at Chantilly and G1 Fillies Mile at Newmarket in October and a repeat of any of that form could be enough.

First she will have to reverse form with Mohammed Fahad Al Attiya’s Mission Impassible (Ire) (Galileo {Ire}), who was one place ahead of her when third in the Boussac and hails from the always-respected Jean-Claude Rouget stable. At this time of year there is always potential for the more unexposed types to upstage the proven ones and it is interesting that Magical’s connections also have the Andre Fabre-trained Wind Chimes (GB) (Mastercraftsman {Ire}), who took Chantilly’s Listed Prix Herod impressively over seven furlongs in November.

View the full article