Cummings aiming for Magic Night four-peat with Magic Carpet
James Cummings will be looking to make it four straight wins in the Magic Night Stakes at Rosehill Gardens on Saturday when he saddles up two-year-old filly Magic Carpet.
The daughter of Lonhro is yet to win a race in her four career starts, but she heads into the Group 3 event on the back of a career peak which saw her finish third in a 2YO Maiden at Canterbury on February 25.
In the past three years, Cummings has won the race with fillies Arcaded, Thermosphere and Kiamichi, with the latter backing up seven days later to take out the Golden Slipper Stakes in 2019.
On Saturday, Magic Carpet has drawn the inside barrier and will be once again partnered by Rachel King, who is looking to become the first female rider to win the Magic Night Stakes.
Nipotino upsets them in the Canterbury opener with a gem of a ride from @Reganbayliss 👏👏 pic.twitter.com/JCa9gGv6yp
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) February 25, 2022
Cummings believes his filly has “shown enough ability” to defy her $20 odds and run a bold race over the 1200m.
“We were satisfied with her Canterbury performance, considering the wide alley,” he said in a weekly Godolphin update.
“She chased really hard.
“She’s drawn gate one and if she is able to make the most of it, she’s shown enough ability to be in the mix.”
The winner of the Magic Night will earn automatic entry into next Saturday’s Golden Slipper, a race that Cummings has won just once, when Kiamichi completed the Magic Night/Golden Slipper double in 2019.
As it stands, Ojai will be the only horse in next weekend’s Golden Slipper field for Cummings, unless Magic Carpet can get the job done this weekend.
This year’s Golden Slipper looks to be one the more open editions in recent times, as Coolangatta tops the betting at $4.60 and Sejardan sits behind her at $7 just eight days out.
Magic Carpet is currently a $101 chance to win the Golden Slipper, while Ojai is half that quote at $51 with .