| Twist Magic | |
|---|---|
| Sire | Winged Love |
| Grandsire | In The Wings |
| Dam | Twist Scarlett |
| Damsire | Lagunas |
| Sex | Gelding |
| Foaled | 20 April 2002 |
| Country | Germany |
| Colour | Bay or Brown |
| Breeder | Dr. Georg Hastrich and Co. |
| Owner | Barry Fulton, Tony Hayward & Michael Lynch |
| Trainer | Paul Nicholls |
| Record | 30: 10-3-5 |
| Earnings | £579,969 |
| Major wins | |
| Maghull Novices' Chase (2007) Tingle Creek Chase (2007, 2009) Punchestown Champion Chase (2008) Celebration Chase (2009) Victor Chandler Chase (2010) | |
Twist Magic (20 April 2002 – 15 December 2010) was a French-bred, British-trainedNational Hunt horse trained byPaul Nicholls. He specialised as a two-mile chaser, and recorded many top class wins such as theTingle Creek in 2007 and 2009 and theVictor Chandler Chase in 2010. He suffered a serious injury while racing in the rearrangedPeterborough Chase atNewbury and was put down. He was a rather quirky character, although not at his best atCheltenham, he was one of the best two-mile chasers of his generation.[1]
Twist Magic was bred by Dr. Georg Hastrich and Co. and initially trained by Guillaume Macaire. He was sired byIrish Derby winnerWinged Love a son ofCoronation Cup andBreeders Cup Turf winnerIn The Wings. His damTwist Scarlett was a daughter ofDeutsches Derby winnerLagunas.
Twist Magic made his debut atAuteuil in France as a three-year-old. Racing in a hurdle race over two miles seven furlongs, he finished third to Sasso Lungo.[2] He filled the same position in another hurdle race behindGolden Silver, before winning at the third attempt in June. He was then sold to Barry Fulton, Tony Hayward and Michael Lynch, and relocated to Paul Nicholls’ yard inSomerset, England.
Twist Magic made his British debut in the Wensleydale Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle atWetherby in October 2005. Sent off the 11/10 favourite, he was ridden byPaddy Brennan to finish sixth behindAviation.[3] He next ran in a similar event atWincanton in December, and won by nine lengths fromPace Shot underChristian Williams.[4] Stepped up in class to Grade 1 company in theFinale Juvenile Hurdle atChepstow, Twist Magic finished fifth behindBlue Shark. He next finished a distant third toKasbah Bliss in the Grade 2Adonis Juvenile Novices’ Hurdle atSandown in February.[5] Twist Magic rather underperformed in his next start in the Grade 1Anniversary 4yo Novices’ Hurdle atAintree, pulling up two flights from the finish behindDetroit City.
After a summer break, Twist Magic was switched to fences for his debut race. Sent off at 9/4 and ridden byRuby Walsh, he won a two-mile novices’ chase atFakenham by twenty four lengths fromRoyal Shakespeare.[6] He next ran in the Grade 2Wayward Lad Novices’ Chase atKempton, where he finished second by just over a length toJack The Giant, trained byNicky Henderson.[7] With only two runs over fences under his belt, Twist Magic then ran in the Grade 1Arkle Challenge Trophy at theCheltenham Festival in March. Sent off at 12/1, he was staying on well when falling at the second last fence along with futureGrand National winnerDon't Push It. TheAlan King trainedMy Way De Solzen won the race.[8]Twist Magic gained compensation at Aintree when he won the Grade 1Maghull Novices’ Chase by five lengths fromFair Along.
Twist Magic reappeared in a graduation chase over two miles atKempton in November, where he defeatedMister Quasimodo by six lengths under Ruby Walsh. He next took on the reigningQueen Mother Champion Chase winnerVoy Por Ustedes in the Grade 1Tingle Creek Chase at Sandown. Sent off at 5/1 and with Sam Thomas deputising for an injured Ruby Walsh, Twist Magic won by five lengths to establish himself as a top class two mile chaser.[9] He then ran in the Grade 1Victor Chandler Chase atAscot on heavy ground. Although sent off the 4/5 favourite, he struggled behind a front runningTamarinbleu and was beaten twelve lengths into second.
Twist Magic's next race came in theQueen Mother Champion Chase at Cheltenham, where he was the 5/1 fourth favourite behind Voy Por Ustedes and stablemateMaster Minded, who had won theGame Spirit Chase. Twist Magic was ridden by Sam Thomas after Ruby Walsh selected Master Minded, and was well beaten behind that horse after making a bad mistake three out.[10]
Twist Magic gained compensation for the loss when winning the Grade 1Punchestown Champion Chase in April, defeating his stablemateNatal by nearly two lengths.
Twist Magic made his seasonal debut under top weight of 11 st 10 lbs in theHaldon Gold Cup atExeter. Appearing to need the run, he finished fourth behindAshley House after weakening some way from the finish.[11] He then reopposed stablemate Master Minded in the Tingle Creek Chase. He was going well and appeared to be the only challenge to the favourite when he misjudged the second last fence and fell. Twist Magic disappointed when sent off 13/8 favourite in the Grade 2Desert Orchid Chase at Kempton, finishing sixth behindFiepes Shuffle, who had also fallen in the Tingle Creek.[12]
Despite failing at the track twice, Twist Magic again ran in the Champion Chase at Cheltenham, but was unruly in the parade and unseated Sam Thomas, then fell at the fourth last fence as Master Minded recorded his second win in the race.[13] He then bounced back to form at Sandown in theCelebration Chase, which he won by ten lengths fromArkle secondKalahari King.[14]
Twist Magic again made his debut in the Haldon Gold Cup, but put up a better performance than the previous year, running on in the final furlong to take third behindPlanet Of Sound.[15] With Master Minded injured, Twist Magic was Paul Nicholls’ main hope in the Tingle Creek, and was ridden by Ruby Walsh. In a change of tactics, he led the entire race and jumped extremely well, defeating 2009Arkle winnerForpadydeplasterer by fifteen lengths, with former Arkle winnerWell Chief in third and future Champion Chase winnerBig Zeb fourth.[16]
Seemingly revitalised by the new front running style, Twist Magic made amends for his defeat in theVictor Chandler Chase two years previously by winning the race by twelve lengths fromPetit Robin.[17] Although in much better form this season, Twist Magic was once again a failure in the Champion Chase, blundering four out and being pulled up byRobert Thornton as Biz Zeb triumphed.[18] A trip to Ireland for thePunchestown Champion Chase ended in disaster when he refused to race at the start, leavingGolden Silver to win from Forpadydeplasterer.[19] Twist Magic raced once more that season in the Celebration Chase, where he was third to 9/1 chanceI’m So Lucky.[20]
Twist Magic returned in the Haldon Gold Cup for the third year running, this time failing by half a length to concede 19 lbs to his stablemateTchico Polos, who was ridden by Ruby Walsh.[21] Plans to run in the Tingle Creek were scuppered when Sandown was lost to the weather and the race was transferred to Cheltenham,[22] a track Twist Magic did not prefer. Instead he was rerouted to thePeterborough Chase, also rearranged due to frost and held this year atNewbury.[23] Although initially reluctant to start, Twist Magic had taken the lead and was travelling powerfully when he fell at the second last fence and fractured a fetlock, resulting in him being put down.[24] Jockey Sam Thomas escaped unharmed. Trainer Paul Nicholls paid tribute, calling him "such a wonderful horse" and the injury "a real tragedy".[25]
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