Magical win earns Melbourne Cup golden ticket

Melbourne Cup-bound runners competing in the Ebor Handicap is a well-worn path towards the first Tuesday in November and jumper-turned flat performer Magical Zoe has earned a place at Flemington by winning York’s staying feature.

It was through the encouragement of the ownership group, some of which had already planned to be at Flemington on November 5, that Irish trainer Henry De Bromhead switched the six-year-old mare to concentrating on flat racing this season, and victory in the 2800-metre Ebor has delivered beyond their expectations.

“She was impressive there and winning the Ebor is incredible, and it is a race that has a good historic line with the Melbourne Cup,” de Bromhead said of Magical Zoe who won at $6.50.

“The owners said they’d love to go for the Ebor and one of them hoped we could start there and work back.”That approach started in Ireland in April and included a third placing in the Group 3 Stanerra Stakes for fillies and mares at Fairyhouse over 2200-metres.

A firm decision is yet to be made on whether the Irish-bred mare is certain to make the trip, but de Bromhead believes she is genuine enough to be competitive.

For the trainer based in Knockeen in County Waterford, there is some homework to do on competing in the Group 1 $8 million feature over 3200-metres in what would be his first runner south of the Equator.

“I worked for Coolmore in Australia for about five months but outside of that, I have no exposure to Australian racing other than going to Randwick and Rosehill for days out.

“The owners are keen so we’ll see how we go.”

For one of them, Paddy, it could be quite the 40th birthday celebration getaway come Melbourne Cup Day.