Racing: Classic contest an Anzac Day highlight

Magic Tryst versus Solvini in the $30,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Stakes at Avondale today is shaping as a highlight of the Anzac Day meeting.

Magic Tryst is unraced while Solvini is a stakes winner.

We've all seen hyped trials winners go to the races for the first time and get their tails whipped, just like the Allied troops did for a while against the dug-in Turks not far inland from Anzac Cove in 1915.

That may well happen to Magic Tryst this afternoon, but the Magic Ring filly has shown she is to be taken seriously.

She won a barrier trial on this track two weeks ago by 12 lengths.

Often that type of margin can be created by completely lacklustre opposition.

This is different. One of Magic Tryst's similarly unraced rivals today, Colourgirl, won a heat for juveniles on the same programme.

Colourgirl looked impressive enough winning by two lengths, yet she ran the 1050m in 1:5.83 to Magic Tryst's 1:3.46, a stunning 2.38 second faster.

And, Leith Innes was easing Magic Tryst down well before the finish.

Do not underestimate the degree of difficulty in beating a race-hardened class filly like Solvini with an unraced and, perhaps more significantly, inexperienced juvenile.

Solvini would also have won that Avondale barrier trial by a big margin.

But it will nevertheless be a fascinating contest.

The other factor to put an edge to the race is that Solvini's trainers, Trevor and Stephen McKee, have prepared hundreds of winners and Magic Tryst's trainer Craig Ritchie none.

That's on his own of course.

Ritchie trained a host of winners in partnership with father Frank until branching out on his own at the start of this season with a moderate-sized team. For several decades the Ritchies and the McKees plied their trade side by side at Takanini.

Frank Ritchie trained Magic Tryst's dam, the well-bred Our Tristajet, who by a wonderful coincidence won a barrier trial at Avondale as an unraced 2-year-old by 12 lengths.

It has no real significance, but Our Tristajet was beaten on debut before going on to win three races.

Solvini is coming off group one performances in the Ford Diamond Stakes at Ellerslie (6th) and the Manawatu Sires at Awapuni, in which she finished ninth after sharing the speed around the home bend.

She started favourite at the Ellerslie event and was only 1 lengths from winner Jokers Wild after being tackled a fair way out.

She looked very good winning in stakes company at New Plymouth before those two races.

The scratching yesterday of Matamata filly Imananabaa has made it easier for Rossini and Magic Tryst.

Keep The Passion and unraced Jazzella will also have their followers today.