Battle for NZB Filly of the Year Title Begins

Saturday's $70,000 Group 3 Hawke's Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings sees the beginning of the 39th running of New Zealand Bloodstock's prestigious Filly of the Year Series. 

A Series that was won convincingly last season by King's Rose (Redoute's Choice), who is now unbeaten in Australia in two starts, the Series has been won by the likes of Katie Lee (Pins), Daffodil (No Excuse Needed), Insouciant (Keeper), Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago) and Justa Tad (Istidaad) in recent years.

The Series for three-year-old fillies consists of ten Group or Listed races held across the country and includes such esteemed events as the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas, the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic, Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic and Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes, and culminates with the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks.

Heading the field for the opening race in the 2011/12 Filly of the Year Series is the dual Group 1 winning filly Anabandana (Anabaa x Great Notice). Trained by Don Sellwood, Anabandana was New Zealand's Champion Two-Year-Old last season and went unbeaten in her last four starts, all at Group level.

She had a hit out between races at the Rotorua meeting last week and impressed her trainer, running the last 600 metres in 35.4 seconds on the rain affected track. She has drawn barrier 10 for the race with Opie Bosson on board.

Sellwood will also saddle up the lightly raced Pussy O'Reilly (NZ) (O'Reilly x Octapussy) who comes into the race fresh up after a good break from the track. She has drawn the ace barrier and has only had two starts against some handy horses for one win where she ran down the John Sargent trained Orutan (NZ) (Pins x Naturo), who also lines up in the race in gate eight.

With two wins and two seconds from her four starts, the Kevin Gray trained Karaka graduate Testa Secret (Testa Rossa x Acacian Secret) comes into the Group 3 event after a very good second behind the smart filly Dowager Queen (Savabeel) in the Listed Fillies Stakes. Prior to that she ran second to Snow Excuse in the Listed Ryder Stakes as a two-year-old and looks well placed from barrier two.

Gray will also saddle up Scarlet O'Hara (NZ) (Fast 'N' Famous x Southern Belle) who carries a Karaka 3YO Mile nomination. She comes into the race after a good fresh up run against the boys in Hawke's Bay behind Ginner Hart (Volksraad) and will jump from gate five.

Karaka 3YO Mile nominated Queen Boudicca (NZ) (Perfectly Ready x Qwikchik) comes into the race after running fifth behind Scarlet O'Hara in the same race in Hawke's Bay. She has shown that she can perform at group level, running third in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders Stakes as a two-year-old. She has drawn well in seven.

The Group 2 placed Beejay Belle (NZ) (Perfectly Ready x Guineas) from Murray Baker's stable is another Karaka 3YO Mile nominated runner and shares a domestic rating of 70 with Prestigious Miss (Written Tycoon x Mathematical) from Roger James' yard. Both won on the track as two-year-olds and come into the race after a break, and have drawn gates 12 and 11 respectively.

Rounding off the Karaka 3YO Mile nominated runners is the Keith & Brendon Hawtin trained maiden Lady Chapel (NZ) (King's Chapel x Akela) who ran a good second in the Listed Wentwood Grange Stakes as a two-year-old. She comes into the race fresh up after a good trial in Cambridge in late August and will jump from barrier four.  

The Louise Saunders two-year-old winner Melody Celebre (NZ) (Castledale x Right on Time) has drawn well in three and comes into the race fresh up along with Unbelieveabelle (NZ) (Handsome Ransom x Shona Indre) for Stephen Crutchley from barrier six who dead-heated for first in her trial earlier this month.

The winner of the $70,000 Group 3 Hawke's Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) will receive six points in New Zealand Bloodstock's Filly of the Year Series, with second place earning three points and third one-and-a-half points.

The Group 3 Hawke's Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes will be run at Hastings this Saturday at 2.51pm. For more information on the Filly of the Year Series including the race schedule and the points table, click here.