By MICHAEL GUERIN
A Little More Magic went within a hair's breadth of being robbed of the best form of her career.
But now she is emerging as the big mover in the three-year-old fillies' ranks at the most crucial time of the season, with the New Zealand Oaks and Nevele Fillies Final just a few weeks away.
The Glen Harwood-trained filly will be a hot favourite to complete a hat-trick in the Nevele R Series heat at Alexandra Park tonight where many will consider her an anchor in the $100,000 Pick Six.
Yet had Harwood not taken a gamble with A Little More Magic she would be in the spelling paddock tonight instead of the winner's circle.
After starting her juvenile career with a bang last season she fell sick on a southern campaign and struggled to recover.
"She came up all right this season but there wasn't the same spark in her as she has when at her best," said Harwood.
After a battling summer Harwood tried a last resort - he gave A Little More Magic a hair cut.
He sent samples of her hair to a Queensland laboratory where it was tested and the filly was diagnosed as suffering from muscle soreness, ulcers ( common in racehorses) and the lingering effects of a virus.
"They sent back some tonics to treat her with and they really helped," he said. "Her form has really picked up and at her best I think she is good as the best fillies."
Her recent times would support that, as A Little More Magic used her gate speed to win another heat of the Nevele R series at Alexandra Park last month before coming from the second line to win in a 1:57.7 mile rate for tonight's distance at Cambridge last start.
Apart from natural ability, A Little More Magic's biggest weapon is that gate speed which should allow her to cross to the front tonight even from barrier six from where she is clearly the horse to beat.
Her cause has been aided by her tightest-assessed rival Kamwood Gal drawing outside her, meaning she will have to cover more ground than the favourite at some stage of the sprint trip.
A Little More Magic is one of only two representatives for Harwood and he also sees the other, Expresso, as worthy of inclusion in the last leg of Pick Six.
"He won well first up here but had no luck with his draws for a few starts after that. And then when he did get a good draw last start he galloped out.
"Usually he has good gate speed and the field isn't that strong so if he leads he could be hard to beat because he is a tough little horse."
A Little More Magic's driver David Butcher has a fine chance of continuing his outstanding form this season in the other fillies' feature tonight, the $15,000 PGG Sales Graduette.
Butcher, who has won the Juvenile Championship and Easter Cup recently, is driving as well as any reinsman in the country, and has the perfect horse to demonstrate that on in Hot Shoe Shuffle.
Like A Little More Magic she has gate speed and was a last-start winner over the very tough Elect To Live at Cambridge.
With the aid of a good draw tonight she looks set to win the third race of her short career in a race where Kaimata Krystal, again dogged by a bad draw, looks the big improver after having no luck at Cambridge last start.
The race also brings north southern fillies Fantastic Vision and All y Art as they prepare for the Alexandra Park fillies' triple crown of the $100,000 Sales Series Final (May 3), $88,000 Sires Stakes Final (May 18) and $100,000 Caduceus Classic on June 8.
Racing: Tonics work More Magic on filly
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