Alagant Satin Poised for Filly Series Lead

Seventeen fillies will take the line at Te Rapa on Saturday for the seventh race in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m).

As well as chasing the $100,000 purse, they will also be hunting the eight win, four second and two third points.

Running on a high after their recent Karaka Million victory with The Heckler, the Cambridge stable of Murray and Bjorn Baker has their Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) winner Alagant Satin (Al Akbar x Glowing Satin by Noble Bijou) heading the field. With four wins from eight starts, Alagant Satin has won at both her Te Rapa starts. Currently with 14 points on the table - one behind Series leader Daffodil (No Excuse Needed) - she will start from barrier five.

The Baker partnership will also be represented by Touch of Spark (Spartacus x Ascona by Grosvenor) who looks like she'll appreciate the step up in distance. With just five starts under her belt, she recently broke maiden ranks over 1600 metres in the Hawkes Bay.

Featuring in third spot on the leaderboard with 13 points is the John Wheeler-trained Juice (Bertolini x Call Minder by Christmas Tree). The Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) winner will jump just outside Alagant Satin in the hands of Leith Innes. She was also runner-up to Daffodil in the Group 1 NZB One Thousand Guineas (1600m).

Recent Group 3 WRC Desert Gold Stakes winner Glamorous Girl (Thorn Park x J'Lo by Unbridled's Song) will take the line looking to add to her eight points for trainers Roger James and Paul Mirabelli. She has drawn favourably with barrier four and will be joined by fellow last start winners and stablemates Pure Strike (Volksraad x Pure Intrigue by Straight Strike) and the lightly tried Bast (Tale of the Cat x Latestu by Royal Academy).

Also drawing well is Desert Gold runner up, Puttanesca (Bertolini x Tesoro by Prized), who will start from two in the hands of James McDonald. She currently sits in fourth spot on the leaderboard with 12.5 points.

Also looking to add to their tally is the Rogerson, Lucock and Bergerson runner, Awesome Planet (Giant's Causeway x Dance on the Moon by Fasliyev). A winner of two including the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), she was third in the Desert Gold taking her total to nine points. Michael Coleman retains the ride.

Full Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic Field

New Zealand Bloodstock will also sponsor the fourth race on Group 1 Whakanui Stud International Stakes Day with the New Zealand Bloodstock Premier at 2:05pm.

Click here for more information on the NZB Filly of the Year Series.