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Classy filly makes no mistake in Mooresbridge Stakes

Magical  stamped her class on the Coolmore Highland Reel Irish EBF Mooresbridge Stakes at the Curragh.

The daughter of Galileo enjoyed a fine three-year-old campaign last season – claiming Group One honours on Champions Day at Ascot before giving dual Arc heroine Enable a run for her money in the Breeders’ Cup Turf.

She proved her talent remains very much intact with a facile comeback victory in the Alleged Stakes at Naas last month and was a prohibitively-priced 2-9 favourite to follow up and provide Aidan O’Brien with an 11th triumph in the 10-furlong Group Two feature.

With stablemate Flag Of Honour giving her a lead, Magical travelled strongly in the hands of Ryan Moore before easing her way to the lead over a furlong out.

She never looked in danger of being caught and passed the post a length and a half clear, with Flag Of Honour giving connections a one-two.

Jessica Harrington’s The King and the Joseph O’Brien-trained Irish Derby winner Latrobe were close behind in third and fourth respectively.

O’Brien said: “I’m delighted with her and we’re thinking of coming back here for the Tattersalls Gold Cup. She’s coming along lovely.

“They went a good gallop – Seamus (Heffernan, on Flag Of Honour) didn’t dawdle around in front and there were three Group One winners in the race, plus Jessie’s horse is decent as well.”

He added: “Flag Of Honour is getting his act together. The reason we were a bit hard on him last year was because he acted up in France last year, so we just had to wake him up a bit.

“He’ll be better again when he goes up in trip again to a mile and a half plus. The Coronation Cup could be a possibility, but we will see how Kew Gardens gets on first (in the Ormonde Stakes at Chester on Thursday).”