Canterbury Belle Stakes Kicks Off NZB Southern Filly Series
15 September 2022
This weekend will be a time of transition for the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series, with the 2021-22 winner Reputabelle (NZ) (Pins) honoured on Friday night before the next generation begin their quest for the title at Riccarton on Saturday.
Sponsored by NZB since the 2000-01 season, the Southern Filly of the Year Series is an important part of the southern racing calendar – designed to assist with the long-term growth and success of the New Zealand breeding industry by providing opportunities for good fillies to earn valuable blacktype.
The title is awarded to the three-year-old filly with the most points after the completion of the four races in the Series, with the trophy awarded to connections at the annual South Island Awards. The 2022-23 Southern Filly of the Year winner will also receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 + GST.
The first leg of the Series is Saturday’s $65,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton, which has drawn a quality line-up of 14 fillies.
While some have already proven themselves at black-type level – with Diss Is Dramatic (NZ) (Dissident) being a Listed winner and I Choose You (I Am Invincible) a multiple Group Two placegetter – the build-up to Saturday’s race is set to be dominated by boom local filly Miss Take (NZ) (War Decree).
In her only start to date on Riccarton’s synthetic track on August 25, Miss Take scored a jaw-dropping win by nine and a half lengths. She is part-owned in Australia and her performance will be watched closely on both sides of the Tasman.
But the chances don’t end there, with the field also featuring five other winners, along with plenty of others held in high regard by their connections. Remarkably, Riccarton trainers Shane Kennedy and Anna Furlong have five fillies in the field.
The winner of the Canterbury Belle Stakes will receive 7 points, with 4 points for second and 2 for third.
The New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes will be run as Race 6 at Riccarton on Saturday, with a start time of 3:14pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER | TRAINER | JOCKEY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Diss Is Dramatic | 5 | Trained by Lisa Latta at Awapuni, Diss Is Dramatic (NZ) (Dissident) has already made the trip down to Christchurch to win a stakes race over this course and distance. In her final two-year-old start, the Go Racing filly scored a dominant victory in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton on May 7. Her five-start campaign also featured a maiden win at Tauherenikau, along with a second and a fourth. Her only time out of the money was in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m). | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | Go Racing, $60,000 | Lisa Latta | Tina Comignaghi |
| 2 | Defiant | 6 | Home-track filly Defiant (NZ) (Tavistock) has already earned more than double her $20,000 purchase price at Karaka 2021, winning two races as a two-year-old and finishing a last-start fourth in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m). She placed in a recent trial on the Riccarton synthetic track. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | SJ Kennedy, $20,000 | Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong | Rohan Mudhoo |
| 3 | I Choose You | 10 | A brilliant debut winner at Te Aroha last November, I Choose You (I Am Invincible) went on to finish third in the Group Two Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m). She was unplaced in her three-year-old debut at Taupo, but has finished third in a trial since then. | Mark Walker | Joe Kamaruddin | ||
| 4 | Miss Take | 9 | Arguably the South Island's most exciting three-year-old talent, Miss Take (NZ) (War Decree) made an enormous impression in her debut win on August 25. She cruised to victory by nine and a half lengths over Maryweka (NZ) (Time Test), who herself won her next start. | Terri Rae | Michael McNab | ||
| 5 | Rhonda Wood | 12 | Clearview Park homebred Rhonda Wood (NZ) (Redwood) hasn't put a foot wrong in her three-start career, following up a debut win at Riccarton in June with second and third placings in her two subsequent appearances. | Bruce Tapper & Varma Ramhit | Rahul Beeharry | ||
| 6 | Garden City | 1 | Tavistock filly Garden City (NZ) made impressive progress in her two-start juvenile campaign, finishing only sixth behind Defiant (NZ) (Tavistock) on debut but then stepping up to score a strong win in her only other appearance. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | MR Pitman, $20,000 | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Diego Montes de Oca |
| 7 | Perfectly Suited | 13 | Bred and raced by Kevin Hickman, Perfectly Suited (NZ) (Savile Row) won by six lengths in a brilliant debut in February, and in her only other start, she was narrowly beaten on New Zealand Oaks Day at Trentham. | Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong | Samantha Wynne | ||
| 8 | Shazza | 7 | Shazza (NZ) (Shamexpress) finished only ninth over 1000 metres in her most recent start, but she was very good over 1200 metres earlier in the winter - winning by three and a half lengths at Oamaru in late July, and finishing second at Riccarton in early August. | Andrew Carston | Kylie Williams | ||
| 9 | Kikimora | 8 | Although she has yet to win a race, Kikimora (NZ) (Shamexpress) was a quality performer last season, lining up in four races for two seconds, a third and a fifth in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m). She warmed up for her three-year-old season with a 10-length trial win on Riccarton's synthetic track. | Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong | Kavish Chowdhoory | ||
| 10 | Blue Solitaire | 3 | Almanzor filly Blue Solitaire (NZ) was a close fourth on debut behind subsequent champion two-year-old Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy), and she was close up behind the placegetters at Matamata in her only other start. She was a recent trial placegetter. | Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong | Tegan Newman | ||
| 11 | Dayzee Dior | 2 | An impressive trial winner in August, Dayzee Dior (NZ) (Savile Row) was doing her best work late when eighth on debut over 1000 metres at the beginning of this month. | Sarah & Matthew Smith | Corey Campbell | ||
| 12 | Decision Time | 4 | Placed on debut at Oamaru in July, Decision Time (NZ) (Time Test) had a luckless run for seventh at this course on September 3 in her only other start. | Bevan & Robyn Wilson | Courtney Barnes | ||
| 13 | One Kiss | 14 | Trained by Mark Walker for owner-breeder Lib Petagna's JML Bloodstock, One Kiss (NZ) (Tivaci) is a half-sister to the stakes winner Santa Catarina (NZ) (Savabeel). She finished seventh at Taupo in her only start to date, but will be ridden here by Te Akau Racing's number-one jockey Opie Bosson. | Mark Walker | Opie Bosson | ||
| 14 | Madame Giselle | 11 | Placed at the trials in August, Madame Giselle (NZ) (Time Test) finished sixth on debut at this track on September 3. | Karaka 2021, Book 2 | Champagne Racing Stables, $80,000 | Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong | Terry Moseley |