October 3 – Magic Albert has zoomed to the top of the Australian second season sires table with 10 individual winners (2 in NZ), placing him clear of his nearest rivals Show a Heart and Viscount.
Magic Albert got the taste of his first Group Two winner at Moonee Valley on Friday night when exciting prospect Magic Jet scored by a head in the MVRC Stutt Stakes Gr 2, but the victory was short-lived with stewards awarding the race to Churchill Downs following a highly controversial protest.
Magic Jet settled back in the field before creeping through along the fence to take the lead on straightening, but in the concluding stages he veered out to contact Churchill Downs just strides from the line.
Many felt that Churchill Downs was not going well enough to win in any case, but the stewards decided otherwise in a move that has attracted plenty of comment.
The Stephen Theodore trained Magic Jet will now head to Sydney for the Group One AJC Spring Champion Stakes and will then go to the paddock with the Group One AJC Australian Derby as his prime autumn target.
Bred and offered for sale by Yarraman Park Stud, Magic Jet was purchased for $60,000 by Theodore at the 2005 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
He is the fourth foal of the metropolitan winner Military Call, a half-sister by Military Plume to Group Two winner Regal Crown.
Military Call was also represented by a winner at Balaklava last Wednesday in the shape of the David Hayes trained gelding Morning Colours, a four-year old by Marju (IRE) that was sold by Yarraman for $130,000 at the 2004 Magic Millions Yearling Sale.
Military Call delivered a beautiful filly foal by Catbird last week and will be going back to Magic Albert.
Magic Albert got a small measure of revenge in the final event at Moonee Valley when his three-year old son General Albert got home to score his second metropolitan win from just four starts.
General Albert was also bred and sold by Yarraman Park, fetching $30,000 at the Adelaide Magic Millions.
His stakes-winning dam Lusso produced a full brother to General Albert last week and will also be covered by Magic Albert again.
Another nice mare to find her way to Magic Albert this spring is Tidfish, the dam of last season’s outstanding juvenile I Got Chills.
