Trainer Grahame Begg aiming dual Group 1 winner Magic Time at Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm

A couple of Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg’s previous stars have gone close to winning the Stradbroke Handicap but Magic Time might be the one to break the drought.

Cranbourne trainer Grahame Begg could finally have the horse to land him a Stradbroke Handicap win after several near misses.

Begg will run dual Group 1 winner Magic Time in Saturday’s renewal of Queensland’s greatest race, which offers $3m in prizemoney.

Begg went close to winning the Stradbroke Handicap three times when based in Sydney, including twice with Monopolize.

Monopolize twice won the Group 2 Hong Kong Bowl but couldn’t quite break through in the 1996 and 1998 Stradbroke Handicaps.

When Toledo beat him (in 1998), they ran an Australasian record and Monopolize also ran third behind Danasinga (in 1996).

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“The other year (2005) we had a mare called Perfect Promise that got beaten by St Basil.”

Perfect Promise went on to win the Group 1 C.F. Orr Stakes for the Lee Freedman stable after businessman Sean Buckley purchased the South African-bred mare.

Magic Time won the Group 1 Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes in the spring before returning to claim the Group 1 All Aged Stakes at Randwick in April.

The four-year-old trialled at the Gold Coast before only beating two runners in the Group 1 Kingsford Smith Cup at Eagle Farm on June 1.

Begg said Magic Time didn’t have a great deal of luck in that race but the daughter of Hellbent has done well since that outing.

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Grahame Begg will have another crack at a Stradbroke Handicap win with Magic Time. Picture: Getty Images.

“She was very fit going into that race and she’s held her fitness since,” Begg said.

“We don’t have to work her hard or anything like that. It’s only a two-week turnaround so she didn’t have to do a lot.”

Magic Time carried 53.5kg in her Sir Rupert Clarke Stakes victory but won the All-Aged Stakes at weight-for-age.

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Those wins left Magic Time with 55kg in the Stradbroke Handicap, half a kilogram less than the top weight, multiple Group 1-winning mare Bella Nipotina.

“She’s a multiple Group 1 winner that deserves her handicap and she’s almost got the same as Bella Nipotina,” Begg said.

“It’s just unusual to see two mares at the top of the handicap.

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“You don’t see that very often so is that a reflection of the quality of the field with other horses not accepting? Not denigrating any horse in the race, don’t get me wrong, but is it a reflection of the race where mares are the top weights.”

Begg said jockey Michael Dee would have ample options from Magic Time’s draw.

Magic Time drew barrier nine but will start from barrier seven if the emergencies don’t gain a start in the Eagle Farm event.

“She comes into barrier seven so I think it’s a pretty good draw,” Begg said.

“There will be reasonable pressure, there always is, being a Stradbroke.”

Magic Time has firmed from $13 to $11 in TAB’s early Stradbroke Handicap market.

Originally published as Trainer Grahame Begg aiming dual Group 1 winner Magic Time at Stradbroke Handicap at Eagle Farm