Madame Magic stays distance no worries to land $100,000 WA Day Cup at Northam
Madame Magic may finally be delivering on some early Oaks promise with a taking win in the $100,000 Swan Draught WA Day Cup (1600m) at Northam.
From the inside barrier, the $13 TABtouch hope tucked away three back along the rail with Idyllic Ruler ($20) and Snazzler ($11) ahead.
Shuffled back to midfield through halfway, Tash Faithfull niggled the five-year-old along passing the 600m when the tempo increased.
But by the 400m mark, Madame Magic was again travelling and as both Idyllic Ruler and Snazzler shifted off the inside, Faithfull shot the daughter of Real Impact up the fence.
200m later, Madame Magic had burst to the front with Ton Of Grunt ($11) – who had covered her every move from the outset – becoming the nearest pursuer.
However, Dan and Ben Pearce's mare showed no signs of flagging and ate up the extended journey to win by almost a length from Ton Of Grunt.
It was only the second time Madame Magic had seen 1600m with her previous effort a closing fifth on New Year's Day after having her momentum checked early in the straight.
After the victory, Ben Pearce suggested she could now be destined for even more enduring targets.
'Going back to early on in her career, we thought she was an Oaks filly coming through,' he said.
'We've never really had a chance to get big preps into her and get her up to that trip.
'This time in, she's been up to go straight through 12, 14, to the mile.
'We're excited to see it and she did well.
'She's had a lot of bad luck throughout her career but she's been consistent and finally got the luck she needed.'
Faithfull had ridden the mare at two of her three prior runs for the preparation for fourth places, missing the victory on May 3 when riding at Kalgoorlie. 'She was just travelling so beautifully underneath me. We got into a really nice rhythm and the flow of the race just suited me to perfection,' she said.
The rider, who sits fifth on the WA jockey premiership with 108 wins, said Madame Magic went to the line with something left in the tank. 'I thought she ran it out really strongly and she gives me a feel like she'd get even further,' she said.
Faithfull has formed a formidable alliance with the Pearce brothers across the season, guiding home Art Session, Rally The Troops, Famous Dain and Wineaclocksumwhere for them all inside the last month.
'They've been great. Big supporter of me and I can't thank them enough,' she said of their combination.
+ Across town, greyhounds Aston Maddox and Night Lighter took their respective heats of the Avon Valley series.
Aston Maddox ($3f) scored by two and a half lengths from Weave The Ring ($10), while Night Lighter ($1.10f) clung on by three quarters of a length from Ruby's Rocket ($21).
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