Big Improver Best Seller (NZ) Strikes First in NZB Filly of the Year Series

Best Seller (NZ) (Wrote) has come of age as a spring three-year-old, and on Saturday she kept her perfect spring record intact and took first points in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with a commanding victory in the $100,000 Group Three HB/PB Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings. 

Bought by Adrian Clark’s Challenge Racehorse Syndications for just $12,000 at Karaka 2021, Best Seller showed bright promise as a two-year-old without quite winning a race. She finished fourth on debut, then fourth in the Group Two Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m) and a strong second in the Group Two Matamata Breeders’ Stakes (1200m).

But a winter break has brought Best Seller to a new level, powering home from last for an outstanding first-up win at Taupo on August 24, and Saturday’s Gold Trail Stakes was more of the same.

Ridden by Sam Spratt for local trainer John Bary, Best Seller unleashed another powerful finish from second-last to run down Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt) and stretch out to score by a length and three-quarters.

“I thought she over-raced a little early, and I think Sam didn’t want to fight her, so she dragged her back to where she would settle,” Bary said.

“We’ve got bigger fish to fry going forward over 1400 metres or a mile, but she is a classy filly and that gets you a long way.

“She had to dig deep today and it was a gutsy effort, so I’m thrilled for Adrian (Clark) and all the syndicate who owns her. They support us really well. He is great to train for and he just seems to keep picking good horses.

“The Hawke’s Bay Guineas (Group Two, 1400m) in three weeks is the immediate plan, then maybe up to Te Rapa before we look at the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (Group One, 1600m), which is the main one on the radar.”

Best Seller has now had six starts for two wins, a second and $111,525 in stakes – almost 10 times her purchase price.

“There’s a huge number of people in this syndicate, and they’ve all got a great thrill out of this,” Clark said during Saturday’s post-race presentation.

“We all love this filly. We weren’t sure about the heavy track today, and I don’t think she handled it especially well. I believe she’s a much better filly on top of the ground, so she’s a very exciting prospect.

“Our Challenge Syndicates had a couple of runners in this time-honoured race in the past, running fourth with Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) in 2019 and third with Fascination Street (NZ) (Elusive City) in 2013. So it was a race we desperately wanted to win, and we’re delighted to do so with this filly.”

Best Seller takes an early lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with 6 points. Runner-up Sans Doute earned 3 points, and the third-placed Mazzolino (NZ) (Savabeel) picked up 1.5 points.

The second leg of the 11-race series is the $85,000 Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa on October 22.

View NZB's 2022-23 Filly of the Year Series results here.

Vendor	Highview
Purchaser	Challenge Racehorse Syndications (Waikato)
Breeding	Wrote – Star Amazing
Sale	Lot 668, Karaka 2021 Book 2, $12,000
Bred by	Hong Kong Breeders Club