Magic Carpet Breaks Maiden in Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas

Magic Carpet, a 3-year-old colt by Satono Aladdin, broke his maiden in emphatic fashion with a decisive victory in the Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) at Te Rapa.

Ridden by Jonathan Riddell and trained in Cambridge by Stephen Marsh, Magic Carpet broke alertly, settled just off the pace, and when asked at the top of the stretch, he quickened smartly to take command and pulled away to win with authority.

Securing the Colt

Every year, McMahon & Hill Bloodstock’s agents Mike McMahon and Jamie Hill travel to the Karaka sale in New Zealand with the goal of sourcing the best horses to send to leading trainer Stephen Marsh. In 2024, working in step with Marsh and bloodstock agent Dylan Johnson, they identified Magic Carpet as their top pick of the sale.

The colt was purchased for $320,000 from the Carlaw Park draft at the Karaka Book 1 Sale, with Bourbon Lane Stable and McMahon & Hill thrilled to secure half-ownership in partnership with an outstanding group of owners.

Magic Carpet is raced by the 2024 Bourbon Lane Stables New Zealand LLC Partnership, Dennis E Foster, P Davey, Dr P H Mitchell, Mrs J J & P W Rogers, and G R Wilson.

Breeding

Magic Carpet was bred by Jenna McLeod, her brother Brian, and their parents Philip and Jackie Rogers out of the Tavistock mare From Eden. He hails from a strong family that includes Australian Group 2 winner The Fuzz and Group 1 Thorndon Mile winner Stolen Dance.

What’s Next

Trainer Stephen Marsh was delighted with the colt’s effort and believes there is plenty more to come:

“I thought Jonathan would be someone who would really suit this horse as he is a good, strong rider. He got the best out of him as he just loped along when he hit the front. He has plenty of upside and is just a lovely horse.”

Looking ahead, Marsh noted that Magic Carpet is likely to head next to the Group 2 Sarten Memorial (1400m) before being aimed toward the Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 15.

“He is going in the right direction and has plenty to come and go on...I think he will be very competitive as he is loving life and he is a laid-back horse, although he started to get a little naughty today. He is as good a style of colt as you would see and I think he is much better on top of the ground.”

Conclusion

Magic Carpet’s breakthrough win on the Group stage reflects the shared vision of Bourbon Lane Stable and McMahon & Hill Bloodstock: to compete at the highest level of the sport with great horses, great partners, and a great team.

With his maiden behind him and a Group 2 victory already secured, the road to the G1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas is officially underway.

Get Involved

Interested in joining our 2026 Bourbon Lane New Zealand Partnership? Contact us today:

• Mike McMahon: mike@mcmahonandhill.com

• Jamie Hill: jamie@mcmahonandhill.com

• Mary Motion: mary@mcmahonandhill.com