SUNDAY: May 22, 2022: HAWKESBURY co-trainers Mitchell and Desiree Kearney are having a picnic with their five-year-old mare Magic Talent.
After notching her first two wins at picnic meetings at Gosford and Goulburn, Magic Talent has now won a further three at professional meetings; the latest at Muswellbrook today.
And what a win it was!
Again showing her liking for really wet ground, Magic Talent ($5.50) steamrolled her rivals in the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1000m).
Taken to the outside in the straight by Serg Lisnyy, she quickly put paid to her rivals and won eased down by nearly three and a half lengths.
Zapluck ($11) was second, with Freddie Eddie ($3.90) third.
Magic Talent, after relishing the heavy ground to win at Goulburn on April 7, finished an excellent third against her own sex in the Midway Handicap Benchmark 72 Handicap at Royal Randwick 16 days later (also on heavy ground).
Whilst she finished last at her next start in the Listed Hawkesbury Rush (1100m) at her home track’s Saturday stand-alone meeting a week later, she dropped back sharply in class today.
“We were quietly confident, especially when the track was downgraded from a Soft 7 to a Heavy 9,” Desiree Kearney said on the family’s return trip home.
“Magic Talent seems to be one of those mares who is getting better as she gets older.
“Whilst the rain stays around, we’ve got some nice options with her in the coming weeks.
“There is another Midway Benchmark 72 Handicap coming up at Randwick on June 11, and other suitable races as Goulburn (where she has won three times) and back at Muswellbrook.”
The Hawkesbury couple is having a stellar season with a benchmark 11 winners (including four in town with stable star Heza Gentleman) so far.
Desiree Kearney races Magic Talent on lease with her breeders, fellow Hawkesbury trainer Mike Van Gestel and his wife Louisa.
. Talk about stellar seasons! Edward Cummings is certainly also enjoying that, having made it win no. 16 when Prompt Prodigy scored at Canberra last Friday.
Given a perfect run by Louise Day, Prompt Prodigy ($3.10 favorite) comfortably defeated Gravy Train Magpie ($12) and Tavifern ($14) to post the second success (along with five placings) of his 17-start career.
Cummings’ horses have earned nearly $2.6m so far this season, well above last season’s $1.1m when he prepared 13 winners.
Duais gave the Hawkesbury trainer a maiden Group 1 success in last year’s Queensland Oaks, and she has added another two this season in the Australian Cup and Tancred Stakes.
Cummings returned Prompt Prodigy from Queensland after he drew awkwardly and never got into the race when ninth in a Class 6 Plate (1400m) at Eagle Farm on April 30.
He was very well placed going back to a Class 1/Maiden Plate (1600m) at Canberra – and duly delivered.
A four-year-old son of More Than Ready, Prompt Prodigy is the sixth foal of the Redoute’s Choice mare Allez Wonder, with whom Cummings’ legendary grandfather Bart Cummings won the 2009 Group 1 Toorak Handicap at Caulfierld.