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By Ray Hickson

There are two millions reasons for Grahame Begg to have the fingers crossed his talented mare Magic Time will produce her best at Rosehill on Saturday as the trainer eyes a start in The Invitation later this month.

The four-year-old, a brilliant winner in Sydney during The Championships, has her second start this spring in the Group 3 $250,000 The Nivison (1200m) after being afforded no luck on resumption a month ago.

It’s a prime chance to press her case for a berth in the $2 million The Invitation (1400m), restricted to fillies and mares, run at Randwick on October 28.

“When I was looking at a lot of these other mares, Atishu and those other horses, they’re not hanging around and running in 1400m races they are going up in distance,’’ Begg said.

“There’s only a certain pool of mares around. So there was a good opportunity.

“Hopefully she might get an invitation to run in the Invitation, that’s why she’s up there.”

Magic Time, $3.80 with TAB on Thursday, ran fifth behind subsequent Group 1 placed and Sydney bound mare Asfoora in the Group 3 The Heath (1100m) at Caulfield.

Begg said the run was outstanding considering she found herself in no man’s land, midfield and wide behind a moderate tempo, but still attacked the line to be beaten just over two lengths.

"Asfoora too quick fresh!"

Great result for Henry Dwyer & Mitch Aitken! 👏@HDwyerRacing @AitkenMitch pic.twitter.com/lv9Cp32TSc

— 7HorseRacing 🐎 (@7horseracing) September 2, 2023

“She didn’t have much luck, did she, from the gate,’’ he said.

“It was a walking race, they didn’t go fast. It was a bit of a sit up and sprint and she was left in a very awkward position from the gate and there wasn’t a lot (Jordan Childs) could do about it.

“Just the way the race profiled it was completely against her. There was no tempo whatsoever for an 1100m race which you couldn’t believe.”

When Magic Time last raced in Sydney she was a brilliant winner of the Group 3 PJ Bell Stakes (1200m) at Randwick on April 1, it was a very heavy track and Begg believes that affected her for her second and final run of that campaign.

She started a short-priced favourite in the Group 3 James Carr (1400m) on the back of the win two weeks earlier but wasn’t the same horse and ran third behind Olentia.

“We had no idea if she’d handle a wet track,’’ he said.

“She’d won on a synthetic at her first start and I think the edge was off when she won at Flemington at her second start.

“I think it just took the edge off her for her second start last time in. It was only a two week turn around, ideally you’d like three or four weeks, and it obviously left her a bit vulnerable but she’s come back very well.”

Since her first-up run Begg sent Magic Time around in a jump out at Cranbourne, winning the 800m gallop on September 25, and she’s been based at Randwick for about a week.

He’s booked in-form hoop Nash Rawiller for the ride.

“He’s always been a good jockey, I’ve had a bit of success with him over the years and I’m sure he knows his way around,’’ he said.

All the fields, form and replays for Saturday's Rosehill meeting