Schweida’s got the Magic

Plain Magic and Jim Byrne after their fourth win on the trot

Trainer Kelly Schweida continued his wave of success with four-year-old mare Plain Magic when she took her wins tally to four on the trot in the $100,000 Sun Ray Systems Fillies and Mares Quality Handicap 1200m

Riding out his fourth win on the mare was jockey Jim Byrne. The in-form hoop has found the secret to getting speed out of the mare at the right time.

On Saturday, February 6 at Doomben in the feature race, Byrne urged Plain Magic (M4 Magic Albert-Glow Misty for Me) straight to the lead from the outside barrier.

They dropped back and allowed the fast moving Inanna (Jason Taylor) to take the front spot.

In the straight 58kg topweight Chakvetadze (Stathi Katsidis) began to make her move from behind but Plain Magic hit the gas, returned to the front and stole the win by a length and quarter.

Race favourite Chakvetadze followed in second a long neck in front of Inanna, who held on for third.

Plain Magic’s win adds to her count that already includes the Listed Nudgee Handicap and Magic Millions Fillies and Mares race. Her prizemoney now totals $405,950 for seven wins, two seconds, a third and a fourth from 15 starts.

Schweida explains a change in riding tactics could be behind Plain Magic’s winning ways. “We’ve been riding her a little bit differently which I think is the main thing,” he said. “Before we used to go back on her.

Tolart makes her winning way to the finish line

“She’s just maturing I suppose and she’s really hit her straps. She’s always been a handy filly.”

Schweida also has praise for Byrne in pulling off their new manoeuvres. “The last four wins he’s rode her really good, and been a bit aggressive on her,” he said. “Jimmy’s rode her really well. It was quite a good ride on Saturday (February 6). He was very positive out of the gates and we talked about the instructions early as to what we were going to do.

“We had an awkward gate. He didn’t want to allow the others to kick up and hold him out so he was going to be a bit aggressive out of the gates. He got out, got to the fence and let them come around him which was a smart ride I thought.”

Schweida will put the mare out for a spell now in preparation for a Winter Carnival assault where he hopes she can put her best foot forward amongst the top shelf competition.

“She’ll come back and get ready for races like the Silk Stocking, and just skirt around the edges, with something like the QTC Cup and Winter Stakes,” he said.

“She’s got to lift a couple of lengths, but she keeps improving. We just hope she can take that next step.

“We realise there’ll be a lot of fillies from down south coming up for the Carnival, and the horse of Kelso Wood’s (Zero Rock) and all those sort of horses so there’s going to be some good fillies around but if you don’t have a go and all she can do is win.

“She’s got to find another length or two but something like the Silk Stocking would be a really nice race to kick her off in. She already has Black Type which is good. She’s been placed over 1400m in Black Type at Eagle Farm so that should hold her in good stead.”

The win formed a double for Schweida who had earlier enjoyed seeing Tolart cross the line first in the Sun Sparc NMW Handicap 1640m

Damian Browne was aboard for the win and he allowed the pacemakers to dictate the race, sitting back in second last place before rounding them up in the straight to produce the win for the $4.80 equal race favourite by a long neck.

Kelly Schweida chats to Damian Browne after his well-judged win on Tolart (Noel Pascoe photos)

Mauries Pick (Jim Byrne) placed second three quarters of a length in front of the other equal favourite Gold Rating (Stathi Katsidis).

It was the fourth win for Tolart (M5 Show a Heart-I Told You) and the first in metropolitan company for the Class 4 horse.

“It was a very good day,” said Schweida.

“Tolart’s win was quite good although I was a bit worried.

“He’s a really good rider that Damian Browne. I sort of left it up to him. We drew an awkward gate. She normally races in the back half, I would have been happy with seventh or eighth, something like that but I said to Damian the most important part is get in and then look for a position. So he said they were running along, he had to get in first and then he was happy where she was for the speed of the race.

“He gave me a bit of a fright when he was so far back but he’s a very talented rider that fellow.”

Schweida believes Tolart is capable of achieving further success.

“She can get over a bit further,” he said.

“She really comes into her own when the track’s rain-affected so she could win a reasonable sort of race, especially on the wet surface. She does seem to grow another leg. She’s out of a Sea Road mare.”

QUEENSLAND Racing web news: Hollie Roberts – February 8