Miami Magic has Aintree aim after Newbury landslide

Miami Magic booked his ticket to Aintree when casting a spell on his rivals in the OLBG “Chasing Excellence” Novices’ Chase at Newbury.

Stuart Edmunds’ seven-year-old was placed in graded company over hurdles and showed his potential over fences when downing the likes of Regent’s Stroll and Califet En Vol at Cheltenham on New Year’s Day.

He would go on to run respectably when third behind Sixmilebridge in the Scilly Isles at Sandown and back down in class but up in distance, he was sent off 8-11 favourite to prove his quality in this first try at three miles.

Although briefly threatened by Nicky Henderson’s That’s Nice in the home straight, Miami Magic came home an emphatic 15 lengths clear in the hands of Charlie Hammond, with Edmunds now eyeing a shot at the Grade One Mildmay Novices’ Chase during the Grand National Festival.

Edmunds said: “We decided not to go to Cheltenham and we thought we had blown our mark by winning there on New Year’s Day.

“We thought we would try him over three miles and he could potentially now go to Aintree for the Grade One there.

“He’s won round Cheltenham and you can’t say an undulating track wouldn’t suit him, but we’ve had good success previously missing Cheltenham and going to Aintree fresh so that’s what we will do again.

“When you have speed to win over two miles, but the stamina to win over three you are looking at a horse with a fair bit of ammunition.”

There was no successful raid for Paul Nolan who saw his The Big Clubman fall short in the BetVictor Watch Weekend Winners “National Hunt” Novices’ Hurdle won impressively by Paul Nicholls’ 5-6 favourite Talk To The Man.

Elsewhere on the card, Aamilah Aswat wasted little time adding to her historic success in the saddle at Kempton when once again proving successful aboard Kim Bailey and Mat Nicholls’ Guchen (100-30 joint-favourite).

That maiden victory made Aswat the first female black jockey to win a race over jumps in Britain and the 20-year-old excelled once again, guiding her mount to a 19-length victory in the opening West Berkshire Mencap Conditional Jockeys’ Handicap Hurdle.