A New Challenger for Filly Series Crown

Gutsy filly Hera (NZ) (O’Reilly) has moved into second position on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series Leaderboard with an all-the-way win in the Group 2 $100,000 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Hera (NZ) winning the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic. Photo courtesy of Trish Dunell.

The Karaka Select Sale graduate had previously earned 8 points in the Series with her victory in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic, the fifth leg of the Series, and earned a further 8 points yesterday to take her tally to 16, placing her second behind Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) who has 20.5 points.

Trained by Roger James, the daughter of O’Reilly had to adopt a change in racing pattern for visiting ex-pat kiwi rider Vinnie Colgan with the pair leading by default after there was no early pace. Hera was able to get away with easy sectional during the race, leaving plenty of gas in the tank for the run home.

In the straight, race-favourite Spellbinder (NZ) (O’Reilly), who beat Hera at the pair’s last meeting, ranged up to challenge, but Hera found a kick on the inside to repel Spellbinder’s efforts to win by a neck, with The Fire Inside (NZ) (Sir Percy) a further 1.8 lengths away in third.

“The filly was able to step outside of the square and was still able to be as impressive as she was, it made the win all that much better,” commented James. “Significantly she was last to pull up at the end of the back straight, it was a nice staying effort.

“There has been no decision made on where we will go with her, I’m tending to think that we will probably back off and look at the Queensland Oaks as her main mission.

“We have got to do what is best for the horse, she is only a lightly framed filly and I think three months extra will really help her. Australian black-type is invaluable with races like Doomben Roses and Queensland Oaks looking very tempting.

“She was one that probably got under the radar at the Sales and we got a bit of luck. The two best records in my stable at the moment are this filly and Silent Achiever, both by O’Reilly.”

Hera has won five of her 11 starts and has been placed a further four times, earning $194,310 for her owners Mrs F E & R A Dixon. It was the third stakes victory in the three-year-old filly’s career having also won the Listed Great Northern Foal Stakes as a two-year-old along with her two Group 2 successes this season.

The daughter of Centaine mare Corsica, Hera is a full-sister to multiple Hong Kong winner Tele Combo – Telecom Top Star (O’Reilly). Her dam is an unraced half-sister Listed winner River Chant (Danasinga).

Bred by Waikato Stud’s Garry Chittick, the filly is by O’Reilly, the winner of all three New Zealand Sire’s Awards and the current Leading Sire for New Zealand. O’Reilly, who stands at Waikato Stud, sired the quinella of the race with Spellbinder finishing second.

Roger James purchased Hera at the 2012 Karaka Select Sale for $28,000 from Waikato Stud.

Group 1 NZB 1000 Guineas winner Costa Viva remains at the top of the Leaderboard in the Filly of the Year Series with 20.5 points with only two legs to go. Hera is now second with 16 points ahead of Bounding (Lonhro) in third with 13 points. Spellbinder moves to fourth with 11.5 points and The Fire Inside earned 2 points to get her name on the score sheet.

The Series heads to Hawke’s Bay for the penultimate leg, the Group 3 Lowland Stakes, before concluding with the Group 1 NZ Oaks that will see the winner earn 12 points.