Racing: Solvini to square trainer McKee's Railway account

Stephen McKee is on a mission with Solvini - he's desperate to square the Railway Handicap scoreboard.

The McKee stable has four times gone close to winning New Zealand's richest and most important 1200m sprint.

The last time was in 2003 when Pay My Bail finished second in the Railway at Ellerslie to Vinaka. Pay My Bail had earlier won the Lion Red Plate, which Solvini also managed at Rotorua on Saturday.

Previously, Star Of Gold was beaten head and a nose in the Railway, Red Cent finished second to Loader and Anne Of Stratford had to bow to the mighty Mr Tiz.

What will not help Solvini this season is the raising of the weights 3-year-olds have to carry at weight-for-age.

The Lion Red Plate had been won in the previous three years by 3-year-olds Crepe De Chine, Clean Sweep and Pay My Bail, each of which carried just 48.5kg.

With the significant change in the scale this season, Solvini carried 50.5kg on Saturday, which could impact on her handicap as she goes forward to the Railway.

Pay My Bail carried no weight in her Railway, but after Solvini beat the older horses on Saturday with 2kg more, she may have to pay a price for that at Ellerslie.

The 2kg is significant for a horse as tiny as Solvini although, typically of small horses of her class, she does not look short when galloping.

"Dean Nowell [chief handicapper] rang me early in the week to make sure I was aware Solvini would be carrying 50.5kg and not 48.5kg," said McKee after Solvini blew the opposition away with sheer speed on Saturday.

"To be honest, I thought about not running her."

Which would have been a shame. The blistering speed the filly showed out of the starting stalls was remarkable - she was one and a quarter lengths clear before she hit the ground.

"I've never ridden anything with even close to that speed," said Taranaki apprentice Vanessa Johnston.

McKee said although Pay My Bail and Solvini are similar types physically, the resemblance ends there.

"Pay My Bail was a relaxed type, but this filly wants to do everything at 100 miles an hour."

If Solvini wins the Railway, a retired Trevor McKee won't finally get his name in the record books as a trainer, but he will still share in the group one victory- he owns Solvini in partnership with Thayne Green and Mark Brady.

Trevor McKee, one of racing's tireless workers through several decades, was understandably present at Rotorua and not much has changed since he handed in his trainer's licence, except maybe he looks a touch more relaxed.

Johnston scored the biggest win of her career on Solvini and it may be a flash point.

"I want to have a real crack at the apprentices title this year.

"I talked to my boss Allan Sharrock about it recently and he thinks I'm a real show.

"He said if I give it a good go he'll support me. There are some nice horses coming up in the stable and he said he'd support me by putting me on.

"It would mean coming up here more often and going to the South Island a bit."

Cambridge trainer Roger James was looking for a pointer for whether to take Hasta La Ciao Ciao to Australia for a fillies and mares race at Flemington on Melbourne Cup day and he got it when she flashed home to finish second to Solvini.

David Walsh followed instructions to ride the mare cold and the finishing effort, along the inside and fresh from a spell, was hugely encouraging.

Manten fought solidly for third without threatening, just ahead of Devoted, with Mi Jubilee fifth.

"He couldn't let down under the weight-for-age scale, but he'll be better when he gets back to handicap racing," said Manten's rider Mark Hills.

"I thought I was a winning chance at the 600m."

David Walker felt Mi Jubilee was uncomfortable on the hard surface.