News

I Love This Guineas

13th Mar 2011

Breednet - Tara Madgwick - Saturday, 12 March 2011

Yarraman Park based Magic Albert has been running hot this season, his success capped when his high class son Ilovethiscity held off all challengers to win the Group I ATC Randwick Guineas at Warwick Farm in a thrilling finish.

Partnered by Brenton Avdulla, who steered the colt to victory in the recent Group II ATC Hobartville Stakes, Ilovethiscity (pictured www.stevehart.com.au) was forced to make a long sustained run that saw him vulnerable at the finish, with a rare brand of courage produced under pressure to deliver him the valuable Group I victory.

Winning trainer Grahame Begg paid tribute to Avdulla’s ride after the race was thrown open when Jim Cassidy and Pressday surprised by leading the field up at a solid tempo.

Avdulla had Ilovethiscity settled in a midfield position, but at the 800 metres he was forced to get moving with the leaders holding a lengthy advantage.

“A great ride,” Begg said. “He had to start circling them a long way from home which took him out of his comfort zone.”

At the point of the turn, Ilovethiscity was poised to pounce and drove to the front 300 metres from home before staving off a late challenge from last season’s Group I winner Skilled.

“The last furlong (200m) was probably the longest one I’ve had in my life,” Avdulla said.

“He probably got there too quick in the straight and was there to be beaten but too his credit he kept kicking.”

Begg said Ilovethiscity would now wait three weeks before his next start when he steps into open company to contest the Group I George Ryder Stakes (1500m) at Rosehillbefore the Doncaster Mile (1600m) two weeks later at Randwick.

A $40,000 purchase for his trainer from the Fairview Park Stud draft at the 2009 Inglis Classic Yearling Sale, Ilovethiscity is raced by a large syndicate who enjoyed previous success with another smart Begg trained winner Handsupfordetroit, whose BOBs bonuses were used to double up and purchase Ilovethiscity.

The third Group 1 winner for his sire Magic Albert (pictured), joining Albert the Fat and Magic Cape, Ilovethiscity has already won $746,300 in prizemoney with four wins and three placings from just 11 starts.

Bred by Neville Morgan, Ilovethiscity is the fifth living foal of the Kenfair mare Kensington Rose (NZ), whose dam is a three-quarter sister-in blood to high class miler Dalmacia, who was trained by Neville Begg to win races such as the Group One AJC Epsom Handicap.

This is also the family of champion racehorse and sire Lonhro as well as Group I winners Grosvenor, Mahaya and Niello, so Ilovethiscity is running true to his family heritage.

Kensington Rose was covered again by Magic Albert last spring so is expecting a full sibling to Ilovethiscity.

Ilovethiscity is one of 10 stakes-winners for Yarraman Park based Magic Albert, who is enjoying his best ever season on the track with an impressive 44% winner to runner seasonal strike rate.