20 Apr 2024Moonlight Magic gave her rivals a start and a beating when she came from last to break her maiden in grand style in the G3 Championship Stakes at Ellerslie.
The Andrew Forsman-trained daughter of our shuttle stallion Almanzor was a deserved winner as she has raced consistently well this preparation in strong age group company.
She ran third in the Listed Oaks Prelude in February and then finished fifth in the G3 Sunline Vase, a game sixth in the G1 New Zealand Oaks and was badly hampered when fourth in the G3 Manawatu Classic.
“She really deserved to win, she has been unlucky in some good races,” Forsman said.
Moonlight Magic dropped back to the tail-end of the field before picking up ground across the top for Craig Grylls and showed a sharp turn of foot in the straight to sail clear by two and a-half lengths.
Forsman will now let the dust settle before making a call on a trip to the Brisbane winter carnival.
“She’s had a lot of hard racing over ground, but to her credit she has thrived,” he said.
Bred and raced by our strong supporters The Sunlight Trust, Moonlight Magic is out of the Encosta De Lago mare Japonica, who is back in foal to Almanzor.
Her pedigree page features the three-time Group 1 winner Serenade Rose and Trekking, who posted two victories at the elite level.