Miami Magic

The moment that changed everything came on New Year's Day 2026 at Cheltenham — one of the most famous racecourses in the world — where Miami Magic won a top-level Class 2 race. That is not a small thing. Cheltenham has a way of sorting out horses that are genuinely good from those who have simply found easy opportunities elsewhere, and Miami Magic passed that test in style. Stuart Edmunds has been open about the fact that winning there raised the bar for the horse — the yard deliberately skipped the Cheltenham Festival in March to avoid running him off a tough rating, and instead sent him to Newbury to prove he could handle a longer trip. He won by 15 lengths. That is not a narrow verdict — that is a statement.

Jockey Charlie Hammond has been on board for 10 of those 13 races and the two have clearly built an understanding. Hammond wins 3 from every 10 rides on Miami Magic — a 30% win rate — which is a strong partnership by any measure.

Now the team has Aintree in their sights, and specifically a Grade 1 — one of the very top races in Britain — over three miles. Miami Magic has had four attempts at that highest level and not yet won, but Edmunds believes fast, dry ground and a longer trip could unlock something new. The trainer has made no secret of the fact that he thinks this horse is special: "I don't think I've had one as good as Miami Magic before," he said after a particularly impressive run. That is the kind of thing trainers say carefully, if they say it at all. Aintree will tell us whether he meant it.