2023-24 Southern Filly of the Year Results
A narrow win by No Rain Ever (No Nay Never) in Saturday’s Listed $80,000 NZB Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton provided an exciting conclusion to the 2023-2024 NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series, with Epee Beel (Epaulette) winning the prestigious title by just one point.
Epee Beel moved to 9 points with her win in last Saturday’s Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m). She held a lead of 5 points over her nearest challenger in the Warstep Stakes field, Sense Of Timing (NZ) (Time Test). With 7 points available to the winner of each race and 4 for second, a top-two finish by Epee Beel in the Warstep Stakes would have been enough to guarantee her the title.
In the end Epee Beel was unable to replicate last week’s heroics and finished fifth, leaving a clear shot at the title for Sense Of Timing. She dived through along the rail at the top of the straight and hit the lead, but was soon challenged by No Rain Ever wider out on the track.
Those two fillies fought out a thrilling finish, with No Rain Ever finding that little bit more in the final 50 metres to win by a long neck. Sense Of Timing was second, with Race Ace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) two lengths away in third.
No Rain Ever earned her first 7 points of the series, with Sense Of Timing collecting 4 points to lift her total to 8. Third-placed Race Ace moved on to the bottom of the table with her first 2 points of the series.
It leaves Epee Beel as the NZB Southern Filly of the Year with 9 points, just one point in front of Sense Of Timing. No Rain Ever, Viva Vienna (NZ) (All Too Hard) and Drakaina (NZ) (Ace High) shared third place with 7 points each
“She’s a very nice filly who we bought her off gavelhouse.com for $5000,” said Michael Pitman, who also registered his 2000th career victory with Saturday’s win.
“It takes a good horse to do what she has today, and the manner in which she did it, and we can’t wait to see her go over further.”
The NZB Southern Filly of the Year trophy will be presented to connections at the South Island Awards in September. They will also receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 plus GST.
2023-24 NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series Schedule
| Date | Race Name | Stake | Dist. | Club | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/09/23 | L. New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes | $65,000 | 1200m | Canterbury JC | Viva Vienna (NZ) (All Too Hard) |
| 02/03/24 | L. NZB Insurance Sakes | $65,000 | 1400m | Otago RC | Drakaina (NZ) (Ace High) |
| 13/04/24 | L. NZB Airfreight Stakes | $65,000 | 1600m | Canterbury JC | Epee Beel (Epaulette) |
| 20/04/24 | L. New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes | $65,000 | 2000m | Canterbury JC | No Rain Ever (No Nay Never) |
Points Table
| HORSE | POINTS | SERIES PROGRESS |
|---|---|---|
| Epee Beel (Epaulette x Pipi Beel) | 9 | 2nd Leg 2, 1st Leg 3 |
| No Rain Ever ( No Nay Never x November) | 7 | 1st Leg 1 |
| Drakaina (NZ) (Ace High x Justa Secret) | 7 | 1st Leg 2 |
| Viva Vienna (NZ) (All Too Hard x Anna of Austria) | 7 | 1st Leg 1 |
| Illicit Dreams (NZ) (Vancouver x Illicit Romance) | 4 | 2nd Leg 1 |
| Nepheti (NZ) (Charm Spirit x Nymph) | 4 | 2nd Leg 3 |
| Sense of Timing (NZ) (Time Test x Pin Up Lae) | 4 | 2nd Leg 2 |
| Quintabelle (NZ) (Embellish x La Quinta) | 2 | 3rd Leg 3 |
| Warning Signal (NZ) (U S Navy Flag x La Veuve) | 2 | 3rd Leg 1 |
Points Available
| RACE TYPE | FIRST | SECOND | THIRD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Listed | 7 | 4 | 2 |