Brisbane, June 27 – Classy Magic Albert three year-old Za Magic added another winter carnival feature to his tally when he bolted away with the Listed $100,000 Sunshine Coast Guineas over 1600 metres in Queensland on Saturday.
Already a winner of the Group Three BTC Doomben Classic earlier this campaign, Za Magic romped home in the Guineas to win by a widening four and a half lengths.
Za Magic has turned out to be a great investment for connections, having been selected and purchased by trainer and part owner Maryann Thexton for $36,000 at the 2006 Magic Millions National Weanling Sale at the Gold Coast from the draft of Oakwood Farm.
Since then the quality performer has won three of his 11 starts and earned over $238,000.
"There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes with this horse," Thexton told AAP.
"He gets very nervous and every time we float him somewhere he gets off the truck in a muck lather of sweat."
"So I thought I’d send him up here early to let him settle in and it worked out well."
Za Magic would now be sent for a well deserved spelled before Thexton decides what the future holds for her star performer.
"I’ll let him tell me when he’s ready to come back into work again," she said.
Za Magic is the third foal of the metropolitan winning Zabeel mare Zab Watch (NZ), a half-sister to the dam of Group Three winner Tantalic and a a grand-daughter of champion filly Surround, the Australian Horse of the Year in 1977.
Zab Watch was covered again by Magic Albert last spring so will hopefully have a sibling to Za Magic in the pipeline.
Za Magic is the third stakes-winner this season for Magic Albert joining Group Two AJC Villiers Stakes winner Something Anything and the three year-old Marchinski, winner of the Group Three AJC Frederick Clissold Stakes prior to his sale to Hong Kong.
He is the sire of some 50 winners of more than $2 million in prizemoney this season and his yearlings this year sold for up to $100,000 and averaged more than three times his 2006 service fee of $11,000.
As a proven stakes producing outcross sire completely free of Northern Dancer, Mr Prospector and Star Kingdom (IRE), Magic Albert is hard to beat this spring for value at a service fee of $13,750.
