Edmunds sets out Aintree aim for Miami Magic

Stuart Edmunds has an Aintree return as a long-term aim for Miami Magic after his second-placed run in the Formby Novices’ Hurdle.

The chestnut lined up in Liverpool on Boxing Day unbeaten in two hurdle starts having taken novice events at Fakenham and Kempton by margins of 10 and 12 lengths respectively.

Under Charlie Hammond he was a 6-1 chance when stepping up to Grade One level for the Formby, and was beaten two and a quarter lengths by the evens favourite Potters Charm after being denied room when racing around the bend.

Edmunds has now pencilled him in for a return to Aintree in the spring as the Cheltenham Festival looks an unlikely target.

At Aintree he is likely to step up in trip to two and a half miles, a distance he won over previously during his point-to-point career with Dale Peters.

“He’s come out of the race really well, we’re just having a think about where to go next,” Edmunds said.

“I saw very little of the race, like everybody else (due to fog), but we were really pleased with his run.

“I think the winner is quite smart, very smart actually, so I think we can take from that that he’s definitely up to the grade.

“We might go the Kempton now for the Dovecote and there is a race or two up at Kelso we’d look at too.

“Our thoughts now are that we’d bypass Cheltenham and go to Aintree instead, stepping him up there to two and a half miles.”