Bounding to a Series Lead

Familiar colours were carried to victory in the opening leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year series with Bounding (Lonhro) landing the Group 3 $70,000 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on Saturday.

Bounding wins the Group 3 $70,000 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings.

The connections of last year’s NZB Filly of the Year series winner Fix (Iffraaj) -trainers Bev and Ken Kelso and owner Gary Harding - appear to have a strong prospect for the Series again this year in their consistent filly Bounding, who has never been out of the top two in her six career starts.

The Lonhro filly sat in the trail in the early stages of the race for rider Mark du Plessis in a classy seven-horse field. When the fillies entered the straight du Plessis was able to get Bounding off the rail and into clear running and she sprinted away from the field with a show of dominance.

The Jason Bridgman trained Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) tried hard to run down the winner at her second start to finish three-quarters-of-a-length away in second. Karaka graduate Fascination Street (NZ) (Elusive City) ran on well late in the race to fill third placing.

Trainers Bev & Ken Kelso had an exceptional day out also collecting the Group 1 Windsor Park Plate with Xanadu (Elusive City) and were pleased with Bounding’s effort.

“She was travelling quiet easily in the finish,” said Ken Kelso.

“We will target some of the fillies’ races. There is a question mark that she will get past a mile so we’ll follow the early ones such as the NZB 1000 Guineas and how she goes will dictate the path we take after that.”

The three-year-old filly has now won two races at black-type level and was Group 1 placed as a two-year-old and has earned $145,925 in prizemoney.

Bred by Mr M. A. W. Birchall, Bounding is the only foal to race out of Group 3 Blue Diamond Prelude (Fillies) winner Believe ‘N’ Succeed (Exceed and Excel), a full-sister to last weekend’s Group 2 McEwen Stakes winner Kuroshio (Exceed and Excel).

Bounding picked up six points for her winning effort on the weekend, with with Costa Viva receiving three points for running second and Fascination Street one-and-a-half points for her third placing.

The New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series now moves its attention to the Listed $50,000 Soliloquy Stakes at Ellerslie this Saturday 28 September.

For more information and to view the current leaderboard and race schedule for the 2013/14 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, click here.