Boxing Day's Big $150k Mercedes Fillies Prelude

The second of the two big Mercedes Super Bonus 2YO Prelude races will take place on Boxing Day with the running of the $150,000 Mercedes 2YO Fillies Prelude (1100m) at Ellerslie, Auckland.

The race is open to graduates of New Zealand Bloodstock's 2003 National Yearling Sales which enrolled in the Mercedes Super Bonus Series and has a attracted a field of 9 fillies.

The Mark Walker camp has cornered the market with three chances of success on Friday - Kapsdan (Kaapstad x Danaselvam) who will be looking for her fourth win and second bonus of the season, Queenza (King of Kings x Crownette) who won a Listed event at her last start at Te Rapa earlier this month, and Flying Florence (Centaine x Falcons Fire), who won impressively on debut before a surprising unplaced effort last start behind Prickle.

Paul O'Sullivan has also doubled his chances with Prickle (Pins x Snobbish) who has one win from one start and a $25,000 Fillies Jackpot Bonus to her name so far, and Iflooxcouldkill (Daggers Drawn x Hear's Hoping) who struck a $10,000 bonus in early November.

Other bonus race contenders include the Listed placed Dick & Chris Bothwell trained Summer Nymph (Danske x Nymphaea) and two End Sweep fillies: the Michael Moroney and Andrew Scott trained Clean Sweep (End Sweep x Eidercrown) who won at her last start at Otaki at the end of November, and the Murray Baker trained Majestic Sweep (End Sweep x Te Akau Bird), who ran 3rd at her last start behind Prickle.

Outlandishlady (Daggers Drawn x Prepose) will be making her raceday debut.

Saturday's bonus race is the second of three big bonus races this summer. The $150,000 Mercedes Colts & Geldings Prelude was run on Saturday at Awapuni racecourse and won in impressive style by Clifton Prince (Volksraad x Trompeur). The highlight of the Super Bonus season is still to come, with the $500,000 Mercedes Classique at Te Rapa on 31 January 2004.

For more information on the Mercedes Super Bonus Series please contact Petrea Vela at New Zealand Bloodstock on (09) 298 0055 or petrea@nzb.co.nz, or view the New Zealand Bloodstock website at www.nzb.co.nz which is updated after each race.