Noche Magica on Norfolk Stakes trail

PA Sport Reporters
May 29, 2023 4:38 pm

Marble Hill second will switch in distance at Royal Ascot.

Paddy Twomey will drop Noche Magica back to the minimum distance at Royal Ascot after he was caught late on in the Marble Hill Stakes on Saturday.

A debut winner over five furlongs at Cork, Twomey stepped him up to six furlongs for the Group Three at the Curragh.

Having travelled much the best throughout the race, he hit the front inside the final furlong but could not pull clear and was eventually reeled in late on by Jessica Harrington’s Givemethebeatboys.

Twomey now feels the decision has been made for him regarding Ascot, and it will be back to five furlongs for the Norfolk Stakes rather than the six of the Coventry.

A thrilling renewal of the Group 3 GAIN Marble Hill Stakes sees Givemethebeatboys run out a narrow winner as the colt makes it two wins from two in the hands of Shane Foley for the in-form @jessica_racing team 🥇 pic.twitter.com/R8xa4w88QS
— The Curragh Racecourse (@curraghrace) May 27, 2023

“He won well over five in Cork and he shows us that blistering speed,” said Twomey.

“The Marble Hill was a fact-finding mission. He travelled and did everything right. He got to the front and just got nutted at the death.

“His mother (Pious Alexander) is a half-sister of Dandy Man and the family is all speed. I’d say we will go for the Norfolk.

“I was the most disappointed man at the Curragh but going forward, he probably did me a favour. I would have run him in the Coventry if he had won, but now we will go for the Norfolk.”