A laid back Vega Magic is ready to step up to a tough 1400m contest in the Group 1 $1m New Zealand Bloodstock Memsie Stakes (1400m) at Caulfield on Saturday.
Vega Magic, above, is the early favourite for the Memsie Stakes at Caulfield. Photo by Ultimate Racing Photos.
Lindsay Park’s Melbourne foreman Gary Hennessy described Vega Magic as a laid back customer but has no doubts that the former Perth galloper will handle the tough 1400m against a star studded field in the Memsie Stakes.
“He is a pretty laid back sort of customer at home, he eats everything and does everything right,” Hennessey told racing.com.
“But he is a very tough horse.”
Vega Magic is a winner once over 1400m in the Group 3 $250,000 A.J. Scahill Stakes at Ascot during the 2016 Perth Summer Carnival and the five year old gelding showed he is ready to step up to the 1400m again with a tough first up win with 60.5kg in the Listed $120,000 Regal Roller Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on August 19.
“Had a big weight on his back and he looked like getting beaten fifty metres out and he actually won by a long head,” Hennessy said.
“He is a very tough horse and his Goodwood win was similar to that, he looked to be a little struggling in the bend and then kept kicking so the 1400m will suit him and he has obviously trained on, David (Hayes) is very happy with him.”
Vega Magic was having his first run for the Lindsay Park Team of David and Ben Hayes and Tom Dabernig when he won the Group 1 $1m Darley Goodwood (1200m) at Morphettville on May 20 and they immediately turned him out with the Spring Carnival in mind.
Hennessy said that Vega Magic appreciated the break and returned to the stable with plenty of extra condition.
“He had put on a fair bit of weight (after the Goodwood). I hadn’t seen him for a couple of months and I was surprised how much weight he had put on,” Hennessy said.
“As he is getting older he is starting to strengthen a bit more.”
Craig Williams rode Vega Magic in his Goodwood win and is back aboard replacing Damien Oliver who steered him to his win in the Regal Roller Stakes.
Vega Magic has drawn nicely at barrier three in the twelve horse Memsie Stakes field and sits at the top of the market order at Ladbrokes.com.au at $2.90 ahead of Black Heart Bart at $5.50 and Le Romain at $6.
Vega Magic is also in contention to fill a slot in The Everest and is currently on the third line of betting for the $10m sprint at Randwick over 1200m on October 14.
