The script didn’t go to plan, but Magic Time still kicked off her autumn campaign in style, unleashing a blistering turn of foot to claim the Expressway Stakes at Randwick.
The Grahame Begg-trained mare didn’t begin as sharply as expected, settling worse than midfield and finding herself boxed in with nowhere to go in the straight.
Patience proved key for jockey Jordan Childs, who waited for a gap to appear at the 150m mark before driving Magic Time ($2.90) through it. The five-year-old surged home to score by a half-neck over Iowna Merc ($8), with race favourite Joliestar ($2.05) finishing another neck away in third after a slightly underwhelming performance.
“On paper, we thought she’d be outside the leader or right there, but she got away a little sticky,” Childs explained.
“I didn’t want to press her to hold a spot because she can get a bit fired up, especially fresh.
“I had to go to Plan B, and it put us in a tricky position. But I always had the feeling that once I got out, she’d explode. I just had to trust her, and when she got clear, she was simply too good.”
A dual Group 1 winner, Magic Time will now target the Canterbury Stakes (1300m) at Randwick in three weeks before connections decide on her longer-term autumn goals.
Begg has her entered for multiple top-tier races, including the All Aged Stakes (1400m), which she won last year, and the Doncaster Mile (1600m).
“We brought her here because we thought she’d get some give in the ground,” Begg said.
“She’s effective on top of the ground too, but if the autumn tracks get wetter, she’s going to come right into play.
“We mapped out this run into the Canterbury Stakes, and from there, we’ll work out the next step. She’s entered for everything she can be in.”
Joliestar, the pre-race favourite, appeared flat-footed when the sprint went on but kept grinding to the line in a respectable return.
“She ran great, just didn’t get a lot of tempo and I wasn’t able to switch her off with any cover,” jockey Kerrin McEvoy said.
“Look for her to improve. With better running next time, she’s going to be hard to beat.”
