Timing right for Begg’s Magic mare ahead of the Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes

Magic Time has been considered a Group-1-mare-in-waiting for some time and the four-year-old will get her first crack at that level next Saturday at Caulfield.

The Grahame Begg-trained star will start one of the leading fancies in the $1.5 million Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes.

The 1400-metre handicap will be run for the first time in a late-November timeslot and Begg said it has emerged as a lovely option for the daughter of Hellbent.

"It wasn't on the radar earlier, I could have left her in Sydney and run her in the Hot Danish (Stakes, this weekend), but I just felt with 53 kilos on her back it was a good opportunity to get into a big handicap on the limit weight," Begg said.

The Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes will be Magic Time's fourth start of the campaign and only second in Victoria this time in, having resumed with a fifth placing in the Group 3 The Heath (1100m).

She then won the Group 3 The Nivison (1200m) before a luckless third placing, beaten less than half a length, in the $2 million The Invitation (1400m) won by Espiona.

"She's owned in New South Wales, but that's just the way it's worked out," Begg said of her placement.

"She was late starting off in the autumn, so we took her up there and she had a couple or runs in the autumn then we put her away again.

"She spelled down at Milburn Creek, we gave her that one run here and then got her to Sydney for the couple of races in the spring.

"She's been home now about 10 days and she's really taken the next step."

Begg is delighted with her physical condition and is now just hoping for some luck at the barrier draw.

Magic Time has drawn barrier 10 of 11, eight of 12 and nine of 12 in her three runs this campaign.

"It's always vital you've got to draw well in the 1400 (at Caulfield)…it's a nice thing if you can draw a nice gate and not do too much work the hill."

Magic Time is one of four Caulfield runners for Begg, who has Carina Queen in the $1 million Group 1 Thousand Guineas (1600m), Miraval Rose in the Group 3 Thoroughbred Club Stakes (1200m) and Rose Quartz in either the Group 3 How Now Stakes (1200m) or Listed Village Stakes (1100m).