Three-year-old filly Solstice (NZ) (Tavistock) has won her Australian debut, finishing strongly to win The Big Screen Company 3YO Maiden Plate (1100m) at Bendigo on Wednesday.

The daughter of Tavistock wasn’t hampered by the Heavy9 track and took the length of the straight to reel in leader Baekdu to claim victory on the line by a nose. 

JD Hayes, who trains Solstice in partnership with brother Ben, was impressed with the effort of the Kiwi private purchase and believes the filly will only improve with time and a step up in distance.

That was incredibly pleasing,” JD Hayes said. 

“She is a Tavistock out of a Zabeel mare so we see her getting over a lot more ground and for her to show such pace, race correctly and be so strong to the line on a heavy surface first up, I think she has plenty of upside.

“We will see how she pulls up out of this but I think she will definitely appreciate more ground.

“She is a little temperamental and is a work in progress. She was suited by the 1100m pace here but she is one that can get on the chewy.

“To deliver that product on raceday took a lot of work and it’s really satisfying back home for everybody at Lindsay Park.”

Solstice was placed in one of her two starts in New Zealand out of the barn of Cody Cole who purchased her as a yearling out of Kilgravin Lodge’s 2020 New Zealand Bloodstock Book 2 draft for $30,000. 

“I’d like to thank Wayne Ormond and all the guys in this horse,” Hayes said. “They helped us source Mr Brightside and they’ve found another nice one from New Zealand I think.”