Iron filly Magic Wand denied by Win Bright on a stunning Sunday for Japan

There used to be an iron horse in Ballydoyle, now they have an iron filly.

Magic Wand deserves such a sobriquet despite her agonising defeat in the Longines Hong Kong Cup, where she failed by a short head to reel in Win Bright on what turned into a stunning Sunday for the Japanese at Sha Tin, winning three of the four Group 1s on offer.

She has a long way to go before emulating Giant’s Causeway, but Magic Wand has been doing some extraordinary things over the last 12 months.

This was her 12th outing of the year. She started off on January 26 in the Pegasus World Cup over in Florida. She has been to four of the five continents in 2019 and the only time she has stepped out of Group 1 company was in the Wolferton Stakes at Royal Ascot, where she was second to Addeybb.

She won the Mackinnon Stakes in Melbourne and the £616,616 she picked up for finishing second here brought her career earnings to £3.27 million.

Win Bright (nearside) gets the better of the globe-trotting Magic WandCredit: Edward Whitaker

"What can I say, she is just an unbelievable filly," said trainer Aidan O'Brien. "She has run a stormer and it looks like she is getting better, doesn’t it?

“She just loves racing and she loves travelling. You could see how relaxed and calm she was there today. Nothing fazes her, nothing. She thrives on travelling and on racing. She’s incredible really.

“She just kept on giving all the way up the home straight and you cannot ask for any more than that.”

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Ryan Moore tucked in behind the leaders and was in the box seat most of the way. That posed problems on the home turn as he screamed for space. He could never quite get the room he required to get a proper shot at Win Bright, but Magic Wand gave him everything and would have got to the front in another stride or two. It was a brave effort by the bravest of fillies.

“She ran super - she was unlucky and is very game,” said Moore after the heartbreaking loss.

If you thought Magic Wand was earning herself a well-deserved rest, think again. The turf version of the Pegasus World Cup is again on the agenda next month at Gulfstream Park, the race in which chased home Bricks And Mortar earlier this year. If she doesn't turn up there, it will be on to Saudi Arabia in February.

O'Brien said: “She loves racing so will be kept on the go. She has a choice of the Pegasus in Florida at the end of January, or she could go to Saudi Arabia in February."

It was Win Bright who spoiled the Ballydoyle party. The grey five-year-old, trained in Japan by Yoshihiro Hatakeyama, enjoyed a much smoother passage than the runner-up and had enough in reserve to fend off the late surge.

Jockey Masami Matsuoka said: "It went the way we were expecting. I thought the pace would be slow, so I sat about third or fourth. I was really happy the way it went. It's a great honour to be representing Japan."

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