Alberto Magic returned to the races for the first time since May last year with a narrow victory in the 2016 Maurice McCarten Stakes at Rosehill Gardens this afternoon.
Angels Beach took up the running in the early stages of the Maurice McCarten Stakes and she kicked clear at the top of the straight, but Alberto Magic was able to get his nose in front in the shadows of the post to record his third straight victory.
Trainer Allan Denham only has a small string of horses in work, but he is not getting ahead of himself with Alberto Magic and he said that he does not have a set plan for the Magic Albert gelding that is normally restricted to a couple of races a preparation.
“He has done a good job,” Denham said.
“He has been off for a while and he had two good barrier trials leading up to it.
“We were pretty confident coming into the race, but he is really a Class 6 horse in a Group 3 and he is only a kilo and a half off the limit, so he has done a pretty good job.
“I don’t really know, I will get him home, see how he pulls up and have a look at it because he is only small and he can’t carry a lot of weight.
“That is our biggest problem.”
Jockey Jason Collett has now recorded three wins from as many starts and he gave the five-year-old a gem of a ride, but he was quick to pay credit to the training performance of Denham.
Collett is confident that Alberto Magic can win at a higher level and is keen to stick with him throughout his 2016 Sydney Autumn Racing Carnival preparation.
“He looked a picture in the yard and I was pretty confident,” Collett said.
“He went a bit quicker today, he has been winning of soft tracks, but he hit a good track today and was good.
“He was a bit outpaced early and he didn’t bother touching the bridle, he is renowned for overdoing it in front.”
Angels Beach was having his first race start for Gerald Ryan and she toughed it out in front to finish a very close second in the Maurice McCarten Stakes, while her stablemate Bachman made up plenty of ground in the final stages of the race to finish a very promising third.
