Racing: Classy filly holds on at Avondale

Mystery Show and Leith Innes narrowly defeat Pincanto in the Mullins Tyres Pearl Series Fillies Classic at Avondale. Photo / Getty Images

Punters let out an audible "phew" when debut favourite Mystery Show fell in to win and land some big bets in the $20,000 Pearl Series Fillies Classic at Avondale yesterday.

Mystery Show was backed into $2.80 off the back of three stylish barrier trial victories leading up to her debut yesterday, but things did not look good at the 200m.

The filly was under pressure and had to be ridden right out to withstand the determined finish from lesser fancied Pincanto, taking the race by a bare head.

Mystery Show sat outside the pacemaking Lady Bullbars and the latter looked to be holding on at the 200m. The favourite got the better of the leader, but was hard pressed in the closing stages from her outside.

Lady Bullbars just held out Irish Missile for third.

Mystery Show's talented stablemate Alley Oop galloped soon after the juvenile race and worked very keenly over 1400m, ridden by Brendan Hutton, who had won all three barrier trials on Mystery Show. Alley Oop will resume racing at Te Rapa on Saturday.

It won't be known until late tonight whether Danielle Johnson has a broken bone in her hand after her dramatic fall from the favourite Romantic Maid in Saturday's $100,000 Valachi Downs Championship Stakes at Ellerslie. The x-rays will be rechecked today.

"If it's a broken hand, we'll take that," said Johnson's life partner, Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh.

Less fortunate was one of racing's most popular characters, Rogan Norvall, who suffered horrific leg injuries - broken in three places - in the barrier at Te Aroha midweek.

Another Tavistock, Volkstok'n'barrell, galloped well between races at Ellerslie on Saturday.

"Nice work," said co-owner Jim Gibbs watching the exhibition gallop from the Ellerslie birdcage.

Volkstok'n'barrell races in the Hollindale Stakes in Brisbane on Saturday week.