Martin Harley seeks Magic Millions comeback on Alpine Edge after missing win with broken neck

A broken neck denied Martin Harley a win on Magic Millions day but he intends to be there next year on the horse he was supposed to ride.

Trenton Akers

2 min read

December 1, 2023 - 4:22PM

Martin Harley is back on Alpine Edge after returning from a broken neck earlier this year. Picture: Grant Peters/Trackside Photography

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Martin Harley cheered louder than anyone watching James McDonald and Alpine Edge win the rich Magic Millions QTIS earlier this year, despite being robbed of the ride after breaking his neck a week earlier.

On Saturday, Harley gets his chance to kick-off his redemption tour on the horse he loves at Doomben in the Group 3 George Moore Stakes (1200m) where he begins his trek back to the super rich race day next month.

The Irishman is the first to admit he is lucky to be riding again, saying the feeling of walking again is better than any winner he will have on the racetrack after fracturing the C0, C1 and C2 in a fall.

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Watching on in a neck brace, Harley said he roared home McDonald in the saddle of Alpine Edge on Magic Millions day and is now hoping for some luck of his own.

“I rode him in the King Of The Mountain and was really looking forward to riding him in the Magic Millions but it wasn’t to be for whatever reason,” Harley said.

“To be honest, J-Mac really looked after me after that race.

“I didn’t know what it took to win a race like that but I said he was going to be peaking, because I thought we were going to pick up Yellow Brick up in that King Of The Mountain but he was peaking on his run.

“I knew he had strong form around the track and he was flying, so I spoke to J-Mac the morning of the race and I was confident he would run a massive race, he was very generous to me after the race, so it made watching it from home a lot easier, I know that for sure.”

Martin Harley was in a halo following his broken neck. Pictures: Supplied

An international Group 1 winner, who used to be John Gosden’s go-to man, Harley said he feels as good as ever in the saddle thanks to allowing his body to heal naturally from the scary fall.

“I feel absolutely spot on, you have your good and bad days that’s for sure, last Wednesday week I wanted the ground to eat me up after two of Barry Lockwood’s (got beaten),” he said.

“It’s the game we are in and there have been plenty of good days since I came back.

“I think it is the beauty of having natural healing rather than an operation.”

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Rated a $16 chance with TAB on Saturday, Harley wants to see Alpine Edge put his hand up as a King Of The Mountain contender yet again with a solid run in the George Moore.

“He’s another year older now, I trialled him the other day on the poly and it didn’t feel like he enjoyed it that much but I was happy enough with the trial and he needed it,” he said.

“His run on Saturday will get him going for races in the future, probably like the King Of The Mountain and Magic Millions again.”

Originally published as Martin Harley seeks Magic Millions comeback on Alpine Edge after missing win with broken neck