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The Grahame Begg-trained Magic Time is favourite to improve on her third in last year’s race when she lines-up in the lucrative The Invitation 2024 race at Royal Randwick this weekend.

The elite spring racing action may be further south with the Group 1 $5 million Ladbrokes Cox Plate (2040m) at The Valley, but Spring Champion Stakes Day in Sydney also has plenty of feature races for the punters including the now Group 2 $2 million The Invitation (1400m).

The exclusive mares’ only invitational event features a dozen of the season’s top female gallopers with the latest The Invitation odds online led by Magic Time at $3.30 and firming through Ladbrokes.

The now five-year-old daughter of Hellbent ran third to Espiona in last year’s The Invitation trifecta and presents a genuine winning hope at her next attempt on Saturday despite drawing out in gate 11.

Jockey Nash Rawiller comes aboard for her second-up run this prep with Magic Time last seen running fourth fresh in the Group 2 Gilgai Stakes (1200m) at Flemington down the straight.

She was only a length beaten that day, improves from the run, and will relish the 1400m now having a lovely record at the distance (6:3-0-2).

The danger occupying the second line of The Invitation betting this season at $4.50 carrying the equal 59.5kg topweight is the Chris Waller-trained Zougotcha.

This three-time Group 1 winning daughter of Zoustar chases her first victory since completing the Coolmore Classic – Queen Of The Turf double during the autumn.

Her return this time in was an eye-catching second to stablemate Via Sistina in the Group 1 Winx Stakes (1400m) but she raced flat last time out when dead last (8th) to another Waller mare, Fangirl, in the $1 million 7 Stakes on September 21.

She drops back to 1400m now and has been given a month between runs hoping she can bounce back against this field from gate five with Joao Moreira in the saddle.

A further two mares are also under $10 to take out the fourth running of the race with another for Waller, Olentia, being kept safe at $5.50 and $8 currently on offer for one of the early market movers Makarena.

Olentia, a five-year-old daughter of Zoustar, will be ridden by Tommy Berry from gate seven second-up off her win in the Group 3 The Nivision at Rosehill.

Team Hawkes’ rails-drawn Makarena meanwhile gets the run of the race form the inside barrier with star apprentice Zac Lloyd engaged for the ride on the recent Group 2 Golden Pendant winning Snitzel four-year-old.

Kerrin McEvoy partners last start Group 1 Epsom fifth placegetter Arctic Glamour ($12) who looks well-rated here even from an outside alley, while Roll On High ($15) gets her spring underway for the Moody/Coleman camp having last been seen running a credible fifth to last weekend’s $20 million The Everest winning mare Bella Nipotina in Brisbane’s Tatt’s Tiara over the winter.

The 2024 The Invitation is set to run as Randwick Race 8 at 4:45pm (AEDT) on Saturday’s 10-race Sydney card.

CHANCES ARE YOU’RE ABOUT TO LOSE. For free and confidential support call 1800 858 858 or visit gamblinghelponline.org.au.