Pedigree Pointers: Cassie Tully on what makes Aidan O'Brien's Magical such a special racemare

Sacrificing a year in the life of a top racehorse, male or female, is a risky business.

Owners are either giving up a year of potential stallion profits or removing a valuable term in which a mare can have a single foal, to potentially add more racing glory to their resumé.

All the while taking on the risk that their horse may not return as the superstar that we got to know the previous year and devalue themselves, or worse, the prospect of injury.

This sacrifice and risk outlaid by the giants in the sport are of benefit to absolutely everyone.

In an expensive game, it is not the luxury most can afford to allow their horses to race on for another year, and even for those not financially strained to do so, it is still a gamble on the gigantic investments they have placed in this sport.

Take a look at Sandown this Sunday, the anticipation of Enable’s return against heavyweights Ghaiyyath, Japan, Lord North, Deirdre and Magic Wand on her six-year-old debut, is almost overshadowing the Epsom Classic that defines the sport on the day before.

But before we look to those sensational events this coming weekend, it would be prudent to reflect on the seasonal debut of the lady who will be serving the stiff competition up to those aforementioned later in the year.

Adding a fifth Group one to her record with the ease of a knife slicing through butter at the Curragh last weekend, Magical returned in the visual form of her name.

A combination of both the world’s greatest sire and blossoming broodmare sire, Galileo and Pivotal, Magical is out of triple Group One and Classic winning mare Halfway To Heaven, so it is fair to say she didn’t lick her ability off the floor.

The family is Black Type and Group One performers aplenty tracing back six generations in the USA. But let’s begin somewhere in the middle, relatively recently, with the mare Rahaam who was bred by Calumet Farm in the States, raced for Godolphin and then sold by that same operation after her first two foals.

Those first two foals ended up being Coventry Stakes winner and Irish 2000 Guineas placed Verglas, and French Listed winner Persian Secret. The latter was retained by Sheikh Mohammed’s operation and she went on to produce French champion sprinter Do The Honors, who in turn is the grandam of Godolphin’s first Melbourne Cup winner Cross Counter.

But it was in 1995 that Rahaam was picked up for 20,000 Irish Punts and John McKay sent her to the Royal Ascot King’s Stand Stakes (then a Group Two) winner, Indian Ridge.

Trevor Stewart purchased that fourth foal out of Rahaam with intentions of pinhooking her, and famously bought her back at the sales as a yearling for 200,000 guineas on a whim.

It has proven to be one of the most fortunate ‘rushes of blood to the head’ that could happen.

Stewart placed the filly in training with Geoff Wragg and after being christened Cassandra Go, she ran 17 times and notched up six wins including two Group Twos and The Kings Stand Stakes, just like her sire.

It was even more valuable she proved as a broodmare to Stewart. Cassandra Go’s first foal was the winning daughter of Green Desert who raced for Stewart and went on to produce German Listed winner Best Regards.

But it was a mating with Rock Of Gibraltar for her third foal, that produced the first of three progeny that Coolmore would purchase out of this mare. The dreams of every breeder that the superpower, Galileo, and Ballydoyle would entangle themselves with a branch of your family and take it to the next level.

That third foal became Theann, a Group Three winner for Aidan O’Brien who ran in Evie Stockwell’s colours and went on to produce dual Group One winner by Galileo, Photo Call, as well as the Group Two winner Land Force by No Nay Never.

It was Cassandra Go’s next foal that has proved the preeminent. The mating to Nunthorpe Stakes-winning sprinter Pivotal, ended up producing the €450,000 yearling purchased by Demi O’Byrne for Coolmore, who went on to win three Group One races over both a mile and 10 furlongs for Aidan O’Brien including the Irish 1000 Guineas.

Halfway To Heaven was her name and she has been mated solely to Galileo since her second career began as broodmare in Coolmore. That includes six foals of racing age and five winners to date.

Those winners consist of another triple Group One winner and Classic performer in Rhododendron. After 19 starts, she placed in eight Group Ones including running second in the 1000 Guineas and Epsom Oaks.

Flying The Flag was not as high achieving as his younger sisters, but still won a Group Three at the Curragh before placing fourth in the Group One Jebel Hatta in Meydan.

But Magical has eclipsed both her siblings and parents on the racetrack now. 22 starts. 10 wins. 13 Group One placings and five Group One wins.

A Group Two winner and triple Group One placed as a juvenile, Magical did not attempt any Classics at three, but instead placed fourth in the shorter one-mile Matron Stakes at Leopardstown and then contested the Arc. She finished 10th behind Enable and Sea of Class but two weeks later took her first Group One in the British Champions Fillies’ and Mares.

Another two weeks later, she almost had the Breeders’ Cup Turf over Enable in a thrilling battle.

Last year Magical won five faces, all Group level, and was second to only Crystal Ocean and Enable in three top level contests before going too fast in her second Arc for a fifth place between dual Champion Stakes wins either side of that excusable defeat.

The manner of her weekend return, along with comments from Aidan O’Brien that she has improved and strengthened even further instead of going to stud as had been initially thought, has ignited the most compelling rivalry between the five-year-old and her one year superior, Enable.

Magical has some unfinished business against Enable and clearly her connections are sacrificing a year in the breeding shed against turning the tables with the Juddmonte Queen.

Who are the real winners in the prospect of them clashing once again? Well, that would be us.

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