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Magical Zoe delighted favourite backers with a clearcut victory in the Sky Bet Ebor at York.
Henry de Bromhead’s mare has run well at each of the last two Cheltenham Festivals, filling the runner-up spot in the 2023 Mares Novices’ Hurdle before finishing fourth behind last year’s Ebor hero Absurde in the County Hurdle in March.
Having since switched to the Flat, with a maiden success at Down Royal sandwiched by two creditable effort in stakes company, Magical Zoe was the 11-2 market leader for the £500,000 feature on the fourth and final day of the Ebor Festival and ultimately won comprehensively.
After being settled in midfield for much of the one-mile-six-furlong contest, the six-year-old was produced with her challenge down the centre of the track by Billy Lee in the straight and was in front racing inside the final two furlongs.
The result was not really in any doubt thereafter as Magical Zoe galloped all the way to the line to score comfortably by two and three-quarter lengths, ensuring one of Britain’s most prestigious Flat handicaps went to Ireland for the third time in four years following the recent triumphs of Johnny Murtagh’s Sonnyboyliston in 2021 and the Willie Mullins-trained Absurde 12 months ago.
De Bromhead said: “It’s great, I’m delighted for the lads [owners Patrick and Scott Bryceland], they came up with the idea of coming here and what a brilliant idea it was. It’s just worked out really well.
“She won it well, Billy was brilliant on her.”
English