With the addition of blinkers, a fired-up Vega Magic showed his appreciation for a firm track with a brilliant display of speed in Saturday's Group III Bletchingly Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield and consign a class field of sprinters into bit players.
The former West Australian ace was a tragedy beaten in the inaugural running of the Everest in October last year and co-trainer David Hayes was pulling out all stops to earn the son of Lope de Vega (IRE) a slot in the $13 million feature this year.
Damien Oliver could not hold Vega Magic slow enough in the Bletchingly and by the time he led the field came around the home turn this was a one-horse race.
Last start Group III Sir John Monash Stakes winner Invincible Lad came closest at the finish at a safe three lengths with the veteran Jungle Edge a further length and a quarter back in third. (photo Grant Courtney )
David Hayes said he had the strapping chestnut tuned up to run a big race with a slot in The Everest on the line.
"Fantastic to see him back to his best. He is a blockbuster sprinter on his day and that was impressive enough to gain a slot," Hayes said
"He made some very good, inform, horses look ordinary today.
"There was not as much pace as predicted but I'd probably take the blinkers off in a Memsie (Stakes). We needed no mistakes today, so I feel in a pressure race blinkers are fine on him.
"He won the Memsie last year before the Everest and we nearly pulled it off and he is every bit as good as he was last year."
Vega Magic advances his record to 13 wins, 3 seconds and 1 third from 22 starts with earnings of $3,604,800.
Bred by his owners, brothers Wally and George Daly, Vega Magic is the third foal of the Magic Albert mare Admirable who visited Lope De Vega (IRE) in all four seasons he shuttled to Patinack Farm. A winner herself over 1000 metres at Ascot, Admirable won or placed in five of her seven starts.
Her granddam, Starlight Express, is a sister to Century Miss, the 1979 Group 1 Golden Slipper heroine who is the granddam of Group 1 Hong Kong Sprint winner Natural Blitz.
After missing to Hallowed Crown in 2015, Admirable has a weanling colt by Shooting To Win and visited Darley Stud's marquee stallion Exceed And Excel last season.
