Brilliant Bletchingly Stakes winner Vega Magic is now a live chance to win the $13m The Everest (1200m) at Randwick on October 13 after being snapped up by slot holder James Harron.
Vega Magic, above, will fill James Harron’s slot in the 2018 The Everest at Randwick. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Vega Magic was runner up to Redzel in the inaugural running of The Everest last year and his return to the winner’s stall in the Group 3 $150,000 The Big Screen Company Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield last Saturday will give him a chance to reverse the placings this year.
The five year old chestnut gelding had been out of the placings from three starts since the 2017 The Everest in October with a fifth in the Group 1 $1m Ladbrokes Manikato Stakes (1200m) at The Valley and seventh in the Group 1 $1m Darley Classic (1200m) at Flemington during the 2017 Melbourne Spring Carnival plus an eighth in the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville during this year’s Autumn Carnival.
Lindsay Park head trainer David Hayes never gave up on the Vega Magic finding winning form again and with the blinkers going on for the first time in the Bletchingly Stakes, his faith was rewarded with a three lengths victory in a high quality sprint.
“It was fantastic to see him back to his best,” Hayes told Racing.com.
“He is a blockbuster sprinter on his day. He made some in-form horses look ordinary. He played with them today.”
Vega Magic will fill slot number ten in the twelve slots that will make up the 2018 The Everest and James Harron was happy to wait until he found the right sprinter to run in his slot.
“We have been biding our time waiting to secure a horse with the credentials to win the race and importantly, to see that they have returned in top form,” Harron told Racing NSW News Desk.
“Vega Magic was favourite for the race last year when running a great second and his return in the Bletchingly Stakes was that of a top class sprinter at the top of his game. We are delighted to secure him to run in our slot.”
Vega Magic has firmed into $8 at Ladbrokes.com.au for The Everest and is now on the third line of betting alongside of Nature Strip behind Trapeze Artist at $5 and Redzel at $6.50.
The Gerald Ryan trained Trapeze Artist will run for Aquis while last year’s winner Redzel will fill the slot owned by Yulong Investments while the Darren Weir trained Nature Strip is still vying to fill a slot after scoring a six lengths win in the Listed $100,000 Lightning Stakes (1050m) at Morphettville last Saturday.
Confirmed runners for the 2018 The Everest: Trapeze Artist (Aquis, slot holder), In Her Time (TAB), Redzel (Yulong Investments), Brave Smash (Chris Waller Racing), Shoals (The Star), English (Damion Flower), Santa Ana Lane (Inglis) and U S Navy Flag (Coolmore), Menari (Max Whitby), Vega Magic (James Harron).
Early betting for the 2018 The Everest at Ladbrokes.com.au: $5 Trapeze Artist, $6.50 Redzel, $8 Nature Strip, Vega Magic, $10 Menari, U S Navy Flag, $11 In Her Time, Santa Ana Lane, $12 Kementari, $16 Shoals, Brave Smash, $26 English, $34 Chautauqua, $41 Happy Clapper, Winx $61 or better the rest.
