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Magician flaunts his power in Irish Two Thousand Guineas The Aidan O'Brien-trained Magician, who had shown a devastating burst of speed in the about 1 5/16-mile Dee Stakes at Chester last out, deployed that same weapon when shortening up to a mile in Saturday's Group 1 Irish Two Thousand Guineas at the Curragh. Although the Galileo colt was somewhat surprisingly left in this classic after capturing that May 10 trial for the Derby, the drop back in trip was not as stark as it appeared on paper. Chester's famously tight circuit doesn't make the Dee a stamina test, while the Curragh's mile is staged over a more demanding course. Magician also figured to inherit quality speed from the maternal half of his pedigree, and Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith and Mrs. John Magnier's runner proved that he has it in spades. Jockey Joseph O'Brien, who chose Magician in preference to his father's three other entrants, positioned him in a stalking spot in the early going. Up front, Trading Leather was winging it. The Jim Bolger pupil was another cutting back in trip, having finished second to Derby-bound Libertarian in the May 16 Dante at York, and he intended to make use of his stamina here. Magician traveled conspicuously well just off the strong pace, and cruised up to challenge the longtime leader down the straight. Picking up impressively, he surged clear about a furlong from home and had 3 1/2 lengths to spare at the line. The clock reinforced the visual evidence, with a sprightly final time of 1:36 4/5 on the good-to-firm turf. Stablemate Gale Force Ten overtook Trading Leather for runner-up honors by 1 1/2 lengths, handing Ballydoyle the exacta. Aidan O'Brien was extending his record grip on the Irish Two Thousand Guineas with this ninth victory, and third straight, following Roderic O'Connor (2011) and Power (2012). The last trio of winners were all ridden by Joseph. Havana Gold reported home fourth. Next came First Cornerstone; the remaining O'Brien pair of Flying the Flag and George Vancouver; 5-2 favorite Van Der Neer, the third-placer in Newmarket's Two Thousand Guineas who failed to flatter Dawn Approach's form; and the two trained by jockey Johnny Murtagh, Fort Knox and Ask Dad. Magician advanced his record to 6-3-1-0. The bay took three tries to break his maiden, but accomplished that in style when romping by six lengths at this course and distance last October. Magician wheeled back 13 days later for the Killavullan at Leopardstown, only to find trouble in running and retreat to last. He is different proposition now, and is a good-looking two-for-two this season. Magician's opportunity in the Irish Guineas came at least partly as the result of stablemate Cristoforo Colombo missing the race. "Aidan had to rethink his plans for this race after Cristoforo Colombo had a setback," the trainer's wife, Anne Marie, told irishracing.com. The trainer credited the Coolmore ownership team with making the final call. "Cristoforo Colombo wasn't 100 percent, but the owners made the right decision to come here with this horse," the trainer added. "He's a beautiful horse and has a lot of options now. I imagine next week (the June 1 Derby at Epsom) might come too quick for him. We'll look forward to Ascot. He could go for the (June 18) St James' Palace Stakes." Coolmore supremo John Magnier wasn't quite ready to rule out Epsom. "He was impressive," Magnier told racingpost.com. "This is an improving horse and being by Galileo he should stay further. We've done crazy things before so we could run him at Epsom. "I'm saying it tongue-in-cheek, but we could. We'll savor the moment and not get carried away." The Irish-bred Magician is out of Group 3-placed stakes heroine Absolutelyfabulous, a daughter of European champion sprinter Mozart. This is the black-type-rich family of Irish highweight and dual classic winner Henrythenavigator, who won this race in 2008, and Saffron Walden, the 1999 Irish Guineas hero. Also at the Curragh on Saturday, Chigun continued her upward progression for Sir Henry Cecil with a 2 3/4-length victory in the Group 3 Ridgewood Pearl. Racing keenly toward the rear early, she was niggled at by Tom Queally inside the final three furlongs and responded with a flourish to roll by La Collina passing the furlong pole and on to a convincing win. "That ground was lively enough, but this opens up some doors for Royal Ascot," her jockey said. "I had a moment's worry at halfway, but I was reluctant to throw the kitchen sink at her on this quicker ground in case she got unbalanced. She had the class to deal with it and is progressive." Chigun was off the mark by 10 lengths on her fourth start at Salisbury last June and was back in the winner's spot two starts later following a handicap at Ascot in early September before trying black-type company in Newmarket's Rosemary Stakes later that month. Making it count at the first attempt there, the bay returned to run second to Dank in that track's Dahlia over nine furlongs last out on May 5. The Group 3 Greenlands had a wide-open feel to it after the withdrawal of Maarek, and it was left to Hitchens to edge out his rivals and claim a second renewal to his record. Following his first pattern-race success in this in 2011 with a game fourth 12 months ago, the bay returned on the back of a fruitless spell in Dubai and in his native Britain. Close up behind the stand's-side pace traveling strongly throughout the early stages, he found a gap to enter contention approaching the furlong pole and after joining Reply with 150 yards remaining gradually asserted by a neck in the run to the line. Bet Horseracing Free Online at TwinSpires.com
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