Fresh from Treasurethe Moment winning the Group 1 VRC Oaks at Flemington on Thursday, Yulong has added to its group of high-end race fillies and mares after privately purchasing dual elite level scorer Magic Time.
Twice a Group 1 winner by Hellbent, the Grahame Begg-trained Magic Time had a change of colours on the eve of Saturday’s Group 2 Hot Danish in Sydney after her owner-breeder John Muir agreed to sell the top-class mare to Zhang Yuesheng.
The Sir Rupert Clarke and All Aged Stakes winner from last season, five-year-old Magic Time was runner-up in The Invitation a fortnight ago behind Hot Danish rival Belclare in the silks of Milburn Creek’s Muir, but a deal was reached in recent days for a change of ownership to proceed.
Magic Time won $2.51 million in prize money during her 15 starts for Muir, who has been in the United States this week attending the Fasig-Tipton and Keeneland Breeding Stock sales in Lexington, Kentucky.
Yulong principal Zhang, whose Alabama Express filly Treasurethe Moment became the 39th horse to complete the Wakeful-Oaks double for trainer Matt Laurie, also enjoyed Melbourne Cup week success on Tuesday when his part-owned juvenile colt Tycoon Star took out the Group 3 Maribyrnong Plate.
Yulong’s exciting three-year-old colt Growing Empire finished third in the Group 1 Coolmore Stud Stakes on Saturday behind Switzerland, a week after Zhang’s world-class mare Via Sistina blitzed her rivals in the Cox Plate in track record time.
Star apprentice Zac Lloyd will ride $2.30 favourite Magic Time in the Hot Danish from the outside barrier of nine.
A daughter of the former Tony McEvoy-trained Group 3 winner Time Awaits, who Damon Gabbedy’s Belmont Bloodstock bought for $300,000 at the 2018 Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale for Muir, Magic Time was retained to race by the New South Wales Southern Highlands breeder after she failed to meet her $150,000 reserve at the Gold Coast Yearling Sale in 2021.
Magic Time is a half-sister to last month’s Group 1 Spring Champion Stakes runner-up Henlein, a three-year-old Dundeel colt trained by Anthony and Sam Freedman and owned by Sheikh Mohammed Obaid al Maktoum.
Time Awaits’ two-year-old colt Maketime, by Maurice, has been retained to race by Muir and is in training with Tony and Calvin McEvoy at Ballarat. The mare has a colt at foot by I Am Invincible.
Yulong has purchased a handful of mares privately in Australia, most notably the multiple Group 1 winner Duais.
Bren O’Brien
