Drifting did plenty right to win the 2024 Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill on Saturday and put herself in the frame for a potential quick back-up into the Group 1 $4.92 million Golden Slipper Stakes (1200m) in seven days’ time.
2024 Magic Night Stakes winner Drifting could back-up into the $4.92 million Golden Slipper field Saturday week. Photo: Steve Hart.
The stable had confidence in the progressive daughter of Zousain after the Peter & Paul Snowden-trained filly’s eye-catching run for second down the straight at Flemington in the Listed Festival Stakes (1000m) last time out.
She franked that form relishing a return to Sydney and the step-up in distance ticking off the 1200m box in style with a big win in the Group 2 $250,000 Magic Night Stakes (1200m).
While the race doesn’t look particularly strong form-wide on paper for the 2024 Golden Slipper Stakes Saturday week, Drifting herself was stylish and has earned a ballot free ride into the field for the world’s richest two-year-old’s race.
Tom Sherry gave the Magic Night Stakes winner a perfectly timed ride settling second in the run as Valabing fired up to remain on the fence and take up front running.
Drifting ($4.20) led around the turn for home before facing a challenge from the Hawkes Racing-trained favourite Fly Fly ($3F) who cut loose 250m out from the line before scooting down the outside with a furlong to go.
The Snowden filly however did well, kicking hard to hold off the beaten favourite in a brave effort off her on pace run after picking herself up and running through the line well to score by 1.18 lengths.
The Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott-trained Chateau Miraval ($7.50) ran third completing the trifecta.
In 2019 the filly Kiamichi became the first two-year-old to complete the Magic Night Stakes – Golden Slipper Stakes double since Bint Marscay back in 1993.
Co-trainer Peter Snowden said the team would give her every chance to recover from the run and return in seven days’ time for a Slipper bid.
“We’ll give her every opportunity,” he told Sky Thoroughbred Racing.
“She’s pretty tough and she bounces back through her runs pretty quick.
“It is probably up to her and we’ll know Tuesday, that’s the cut off.
“It would be great if we can (make it to the Golden Slipper) but there’s a Percy Sykes not too far off as well.”
The Group 2 $1 million Percy Sykes Stakes (1200m) is held at Randwick on April 13.
Updated all-in Golden Slipper Stakes odds on Drifting have firmed from triple figures into $51 through Ladbrokes.com.au and are available in full by clicking here.
2024 Magic Night Stakes Results & Finishing Order
| Finish | No. | Horse | Trainer | Jockey | Margin | Bar. | Weight | Penalty | Starting Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | DRIFTING | Peter & Paul Snowden | Tom Sherry | 9 | 55.5kg | $4.20 | |||
| 2 | 3 | FLY FLY | Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes | Jason Collett | 1.18L | 5 | 55.5kg | $3F | ||
| 3 | 5 | CHATEAU MIRAVAL | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Tim Clark | 1.29L | 3 | 55.5kg | $7.50 | ||
| 4 | 2 | CASTANYA | Annabel Neasham | Zac Lloyd (a) | 1.58L | 2 | 55.5kg | $3.90 | ||
| 5 | 10 | SHE SMASHES | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | James McDonald | 3.38L | 6 | 55.5kg | $10 | ||
| 6 | 7 | SOUTHERN CHARM | Gai Waterhouse & Adrian Bott | Regan Bayliss | 6.79L | 7 | 55.5kg | $21 | ||
| 7 | 6 | TOTOKA | Paul Perry | Dylan Gibbons (a) | 8.02L | 8 | 55.5kg | $15 | ||
| 8 | 11 | VALABING | David Payne | Ms Rachel King | 9.74L | 1 | 55.5kg | $61 | ||
| 9 | 12 | ITSZARBABY | Gary Portelli | Tom Marquand | 10.71L | 4 | 55.5kg | $91 | ||
| 1 | ENEEZA | Peter G Moody & Katherine Coleman | James McDonald | 0 | ||||||
| 9 | CANARA | Chris Waller | Kerrin McEvoy | 0 | ||||||
| 8 | GAI’S ARTIST | Gerald Ryan & Sterling Alexiou | 0 |
Table Credit: Racing Australia.
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