First Season Sire Tavistock (Montjeu) is building momentum with his first-crop runners, evidenced yesterday by two new placegetters at the Ellerslie meeting.
Avisto (Tavistock ex Miraculous Miss, by Exceed and Excel) looked a filly of promise when running home strongly at the end of 880m to finish third, a little more than two lengths from the winner. Avisto was tried in black type company in the spring but has returned a stronger horse in this campaign according to her racing manager Adrian Clark.
"She won the first trial of the season at Te Teko but it's taken a while for the penny to drop," said Clark today.
"She has grown up mentally and handled yesterday's testing ground very well. She will race next in another Maiden 2YO and her winter targets include the Castletown Stakes (LR) and Ryder Stakes (LR)," said Clark about Avisto who is raced by the Challenge No.2 Syndicate.
Midnitemagicman (Tavistock ex Keep Alight, by Keeper) was the other new placed horse for his sire yesterday. The gelding was on debut and finished well to be within two lengths of the winner. Trained by Shelley Hale, Midnitemagicman had been twice placed at the trials prior to yesterday's debut run.
Tavistock has now had a winner and four placed horses from his ten runners to the races to date. The winner was Longchamp (ex Shot at the Title, by Danehill) who won on debut before running a sound fifth in the Karaka Million at just his second appearance.
