No Stateside swansong for Magical as slight temperature thwarts LA adventure

There will be no Stateside swansong for Magical as Aidan O'Brien has confirmed the exceptionally durable filly is to be retired after running a temperature ahead of her intended departure on Monday morning.

The talented four-year-old had been vying for favouritism for Saturday's Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf at Santa Anita. O'Brien also revealed that Fairyland, who was due to vie for a third Group 1 success in the Turf Sprint, has also not travelled to California.

Although she lived in the shadow of Enable for much of her career, Magical has been a brilliantly consistent flagbearer for Ballydoyle over the past couple of seasons.

Magical had to play second fiddle to Enable on numerous occasionsCredit: Alan Crowhurst

She won four Group 1s and arguably saved her best for last, delivering O'Brien a belated first triumph in the Qipco Champion Stakes on October 19 when knuckling down in typically game style to fend off Addeybb in testing ground.

Just a fortnight earlier, she had cut out much of the running in the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe before fading into fifth, having run out a decisive victor of the Irish Champion Stakes prior to that.

"Magical spiked a slight temperature this morning so she hasn’t travelled to America," O'Brien said on Monday. "She worked this morning and we were delighted with her but we take their temperatures every day.

"She was due to leave at 9.30 and this happened at around 9.15, so our vet John Halley advised that she shouldn’t travel. John felt that if she was to go through quarantine it could risk the whole thing being locked up because of it.

"Everything had been going well since Ascot, we were very happy with her, but it's just one of those things."

Narrowly denied a Group 1 win as a juvenile when chinned by stablemate Happily in the Moyglare Stud Stakes, as a three-year-old her Classic prospects were undone by injury. She ran in none of the showpiece events for her generation, but made up for lost time when landing the Fillies & Mares Stakes on British Champions Day, before playing her part in an epic duel with Enable in the Breeders' Cup Turf.

At the death, she lost out by three-parts of a length, and got to within the same distance of Khalid Abdullah's star in this year's Coral-Eclipse before again pushing her hardest in the Yorkshire Oaks.

"She got very close to Enable a couple of times, and we all felt she had moved up a gear again this year," O'Brien said of the daughter of Galileo, who will be covered by No Nay Never next year. "She has been an unbelievable filly."

"She was so game, so consistent and so classy. It has been a pleasure and a privilege to have anything to do with her.”

Asked about her highlights, O'Brien added: "The two Champion Stakes wins were great. She won the Irish race then ran in the Arc and did it in the race at Ascot, so they were special."

Fairyland: also won't be travelling to CaliforniaCredit: Patrick McCann (racingpost.com/photos)

Last year's Cheveley Park Stakes heroine Fairyland enhanced her CV when just holding off So Perfect in the Flying Five Stakes at the Curragh on Irish Champions Weekend. O'Brien had already indicated she was likely to be covered by Galileo in the spring.

Of her aborted US venture, he said: "She didn't pass her trot-up for John [Halley] and he felt she wouldn't get through when inspected by the veterinary panel. She is going to be covered by Galileo."

In Magical's absence, Fleeting will now lead the line for Ballydoyle in the Filly and Mare Turf. O'Brien confirmed Ryan Moore will ride most of the team's runners, with Wayne Lordan on the second strings.

However, with Lordan due to partner Iridessa for Joseph O'Brien in the Filly & Mare Turf, William Buick has been drafted in for Just Wonderful.

"Seamie Heffernan isn't going to ride there because of the lighter weights," O'Brien said.

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