Richard Hannon and Richard Hughes have begun this turf season exactly as they ended last, in tremendous form, and they introduced a very smart looking juvenile at Newbury on Friday in the shape of Magic City who deservedly received rave reviews and is now ante-post favourite for the Group 2 Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot in mid-June, writes Elliot Slater.
The team who landed last season's Coventry Stakes with Strong Suit seem keen to follow a similar path with their two-year-old who is part-owned by former Yorkshire-based trainer David Barker, for whom the impressive win of his colt will have been a welcome target as he continues his ongoing battle against serious illness.
Now a 6/1 ante-post favourite in the Ascot betting for the six-furlong juvenile contest, Magic City showed blinding pace in the early part of the contest, prompting Hughes to comment that he had never jumped out of the stalls so quickly. Disputing the running with Stepper Point until taking a definite advantage before halfway, the Elusive City colt soon put daylight between himself and what had looked a good field on paddock inspection, before running green on this his first racecourse appearance, drifting into the centre of the track but still charging home some six-lengths clear of nearest rival Signifer (Mick Channon), and the Paul Cole-trained Commissar, who caught the eye staying-on well to be three-quarters-of-a-length further back in third.
Hannon suggested that he would like to get at least one more run into his smart prospect and that might come at Ascot next month on Victoria Cup day, in a conditions event. Another to go into the notebook in what promises to prove a very good maiden, was the fourth placed Letsgoroundagain (trained by Barry Hills), who was green and towards the rear until getting the hang of things approaching the final furlong after which he flew home to finish close on the heels of the placed runners. He could also be a very nice prospect.