Grahame Begg pair shine in Sandown gallop
Grahame Begg has taken advantage of race day atmosphere with two of his mares who are about to embark on their autumn campaigns.
Magic Time, ridden by Michael Dee, and Cinderella Days, under Blake Shinn, worked between races at Sandown on Wednesday, galloping over 900m, quickening up over the final 600m.
Already a Group 1 winner, Magic Time is being aimed towards the Newmarket Handicap (1200m) first-up at Flemington on March 9 while Cinderella Days, a newcomer to Begg’s stable, is scheduled to run first-up over 1100m at Flemington on March 2.
“Both jockeys were really happy. It was lovely work,” Begg said.
“We brought them over to give them that bit of stimulation which you don’t get working at the same track every day.
“It brings them on, switches them on a bit more and you get a bit more out of them as far as their fitness levels go.”
Begg is planning a trip to Flemington for a jump-out up the straight on March 1 for Magic Time and after the Newmarket Handicap is hoping the mare will then head to the Group 1 TJ Smith and All Aged Stakes at Randwick.
After her first-up assignment, Cinderella Days, on the other hand, could head to the Mystic Journey Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield on All-Star Mile Day, a 1200-metre fillies and mares set-weights and penalties race and then potentially target a Stakes race in Adelaide.
A former member of the Joe Pride stable, Cinderella Days won a hot Cranbourne trial on February 5 that saw a number of the Lightning Stakes runners engaged, including the winner Imperatriz .
“The horse has come up very well,” Begg said.
“She’s a big strong girl. She’s got some good form in Sydney against some reasonable horses, but she just tapered off her form last preparation and then went out and had a good spell.
“This has switched her on a bit more today and I think she’s got good talent.”
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