Capacity Field Chasing NZB Filly of the Year Dream in Lowland Stakes
3 March 2021
With only three legs remaining in the 2020-21 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, Wednesday’s $100,000 Group Two Little Avondale Stud Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hastings looms as a must-win for anyone with hopes of catching Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel).
Trained by Jamie Richards for the Te Akau Hopskip’n’jump Syndicate, Amarelinha has emerged as a standout filly of her generation. Bought for $300,000 at Karaka 2019 by David Ellis, the high-class filly scored dazzling victories in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m), and she leads the Filly of the Year Series with 16 points.
Amarelinha’s next two targets are the last two of the Series – the Group Three McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) on March 6, and then the Group One Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 20.
In Amarelinha’s absence, the 8 points for the winner of Wednesday’s Lowland Stakes could be crucial for other fillies’ hopes of launching a Filly of the Year challenge.
Fleetwood Maca (NZ) (Rock ‘n’ Pop) and Lily’s Lady (NZ) (Contributer) earned 4 points each with Group Two placings earlier this season, while Love For All (Love Conquers All) and Passione (NZ) (Proisir) earned 3 points and 1.5 points respectively with placings at Group Three level.
Other stakes-performed runners in Wednesday’s field include Zee Falls (NZ) (Sacred Falls), who won the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) and was a last-start second placegetter in the Group Two Waikato Guineas (2000m), as well as the Listed placegetters Cheaperthandivorce (NZ) (Savabeel) and Providenceprovides (Real Impact).
As well as the 8 points to the winner, the Lowland Stakes is also worth 4 points for second and 2 points for third.
The Little Avondale Stud Lowland Stakes will be run as Race 7 on Wednesday with a start time of 6:08pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey | Purchaser |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zee Falls | 18 | Trainer Stephen Marsh paid $130,000 to buy Zee Falls (NZ) (Sacred Falls) from Waikato Stud's draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. She has had six starts for a win and three placings, earning $73,400 in stakes to date. She won the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki in late November, and she was a gallant second in the Group Two Waikato Guineas (2000m) in her most recent start earlier this month. | Stephen Marsh | Lisa Allpress | Karaka 2019, Book 1, $130,000, purchased by Stephen Marsh |
| 2 | Fleetwood Maca | 11 | Fleetwood Maca (NZ) (Rock 'n' Pop) is out of the Group One-winning mare Macavelli Miss (Vettori), who is also the dam of South African Group One winner Mac de Lago (Encosta de Lago). A winner at Ellerslie in November, Fleetwood Maca has subsequently finished third in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m), second in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m), seventh in the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m) and eighth in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m). Her Eight Carat Classic placing earned her 4 Filly of the Year Series points. | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Samantha Collett | |
| 3 | Lily's Lady | 3 | The first foal out of the well-bred Group Two winner Bohemian Lily (NZ) (O'Reilly), promising filly Lily's Lady (NZ) (Contributer) is still a maiden after five starts. But she has finished second on two occasions, including in the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m), in which she picked up 4 Filly of the Year Series points. | Stephen Autridge & Kris Shailer | Craig Grylls | |
| 4 | Love For All | 20 | Love For All (Love Conquers All) has won twice in her six-start career, including an impressive victory at Awapuni earlier this month. She has also picked up another three placings, including a second in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) in December, which was worth 3 Filly of the Year Series points. | Bryce Newman | Ryan Elliot | |
| 5 | Dragon Queen | 13 | Bought by the New Zealand Chinese Jockey Club and Paul Moroney Bloodstock for $50,000 in Book 3 of Karaka 2019, Dragon Queen (NZ) (Sweynesse) was a maiden winner at Pukekohe in December and has been close-up in a number of major races. She was fifth in the $1m Karaka Million 2YO (1200m), seventh in the Group Two Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m), seventh in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), fourth in the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1600m) and a last-start sixth in the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Taiki Yanagida | Karaka 2019, Book 3, $50,000, purchased by New Zealand Chinese Jockey Club and Paul Moroney Bloodstock |
| 6 | Victorem | 12 | Victorem (NZ) (Shooting to Win) was a $90,000 purchase by Phill Cataldo Bloodstock from Book 2 of Karaka 2019. She cleared maiden ranks with a commanding win at Trentham on January 23, then earned 3 Filly of the Year Series points with a second placing in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at the same venue a week later. She was a last-start 10th in the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m). | Anne Herbert | Sarah Macnab | Karaka 2019, Book 2, $90,000, puchased by Phill Cataldo Bloodstock |
| 7 | Passione | 7 | A half-sister to the 2017-18 NZB Filly of the Year Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy), Proisir filly Passione (NZ) was a $100,000 purchase by Cambridge Stud from Book 1 of Karaka 2019. She has had nine starts for a win and four placings, most recently a third-place finish in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) that netted her 1.5 Filly of the Year Series points. | Lisa Latta | Leith Innes | Karaka 2019, Book 1, $300,000, purchased by Cambridge Stud |
| 8 | Canuhandleajandal | 14 | Jimmy Choux filly Canuhandleajandal (NZ) won at Tauranga in early December, then stepped up to stakes level with a fourth in the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m) and a sixth in the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m). Trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall won two black-type races at Matamata on Saturday. | Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall | Wiremu Pinn | |
| 9 | Cheaperthandivorce | 1 | Blue-blooded Cheaperthandivorce (NZ) is by champion sire Savabeel out of the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) winner Boundless (NZ) (Van Nistelrooy). She produced a brilliant finishing burst to win on debut at Rotorua in December, and all of her three subsequent appearances have been at stakes level. They include a second placing in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m). | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | Vinnie Colgan | |
| 10 | Providenceprovides | 17 | The China Horse Club's Providenceprovides (Real Impact) scored a maiden win at Hastings in late January, then stepped up in class with a strong second placing in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m). | Tony Pike | Michael McNab | |
| 11 | Ali Arc | 2 | Ali Arc (NZ) (Bullbars) was a $42,500 purchase by Richardson Racing Stables from Highview's draft in Book 2 of Karaka 2019. She has had five starts so far, winning the most recent of those at Matamata on February 10. She is the second runner in the Lowland Stakes field for in-form trainers Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall. | Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall | Lynsey Satherley | Karaka 2019, Book 2, $42,500 purchased by Richardson Racing Stables |
| 12 | Charms Star | 16 | Trainer Lisa Latta paid $65,000 to buy Charms Star (NZ) (Per Incanto) from the draft of Little Avondale Stud in Book 2 of Karaka 2019. She has won once in her six-start career to date, along with creditable performances for fifth in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and sixth in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m). | Lisa Latta | Sam Weatherley | Karaka 2019, Book 2, $65,000, purchased by Lisa Latta |
| 13 | Town Cryer | 8 | Tavistock filly Town Cryer (NZ) has improved with every race in her four-start career so far, culminating in a maiden victory over 1600 metres at Tauherenikau in her most recent start on February 8. | Roydon Bergerson | Johnathan Parkes | |
| 14 | Llanacord | 5 | Offered by Mapperley Stud in Book 2 of Karaka 2019, Llanacord (NZ) (Contributer) was bought for $15,000 by part-owner Kevin Hopson. She has had seven starts, most recently an outstanding eight-length maiden win at Wanganui on February 19. She has also performed with credit in two black-type appearances, finishing sixth in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and seventh in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m). | Stephen Nickalls | Leah Hemi | Karaka 2019, Book 2, $15,000, purchased by Kevin Hopson |
| 15 | Absconded | 19 | Although she has yet to win in five appearances, Absconded (Sweet Orange) has picked up a strong second placing at Matamata and a fourth in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth. | Clinton Isdale | ||
| 16 | Swing the Tide | 4 | Swing the Tide (NZ) (Ocean Park) failed to meet her $6,000 reserve in Book 2 of Karaka 2019. She has recorded two seconds and a third in her 10-race career to date, along with a fifth in the Listed Gingernuts Salver (2100m) and eighth-place finishes in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) and Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m). | Josh Shaw | Trudy Thornton | Karaka 2019, Book 2, Passed In |
| 17 | Arancia | 10 | Sweet Orange filly Arancia (NZ) has placed in two of her 13 starts to date, and she also ran a bold race for fifth in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. | Team Rogerson | ||
| 18 | Ciambella | 9 | Ciambella (NZ) (Sweynesse) was offered by Wentwood Grange in Book 2 of Karaka 2019, where she did not meet her $40,000 reserve. She has recorded two seconds and a third in six starts so far, most recently a strong-finishing second at Pukekohe last week. | Stephen Marsh | Danielle Johnson | Karaka 2019, Book 2, Passed In |
| 19 | Primo Stella | 15 | Primo Stella (NZ) (Tavistock) has had five starts to date, including an eye-catching third in her most recent appearance at Te Aroha on February 17. After settling in 12th place in a 13-horse field, she charged home to get within half a length of the winner. | Karen Fursdon | ||
| 20 | Apostrophe | 6 | Tavistock filly Apostrophe (NZ) was bought for $60,000 by trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood from Cambridge Stud's draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. She has had just two starts to date, finishing third on debut behind subsequent stakes winner Spine Tingle (NZ) (Super Easy) before a last-start sixth from a wide gate at Matamata. | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | Karaka 2019, Book 1, $60,000, purchased by Roger James and Robert Wellwood |