Crucial NZB Filly of the Year Series Clash in Eight Carat Classic

Boxing Day has the potential to be a day of significant movement on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series points table.

Auckland Thoroughbred Racing’s iconic Boxing Day race meeting features three Group races at Pukekohe including the fifth leg of the Filly of the Year Series – the $225,000 Group Two Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m), which is worth 8 points for first, 4 for second and 2 for third.

Heading into the Boxing Day showpiece, the points table is headed by Impendabelle (Impending), who earned 15 points with her victory in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and her second placing in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). However, she will not run in the Soliloquy, instead lining up in the Group Two Auckland Guineas (1400m) on the same day.

Spectacular New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) sits in a close second on the table with 12 points, and she will leapfrog Impendabelle with a first or second placing in the Eight Carat Classic. Tulsi (The Autumn Sun), who placed in the 1000 Guineas and Soliloquy Stakes, currently has 5.5 points to her name and is also poised to make a big move up the table.

The other fillies in the Eight Carat field who have Filly of the Year Series points to their name are Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) with 4 and Chica Mojito (NZ) (Zacinto) with 1.5.

But the chances don’t end there, with six other black-type performers among a high-class Eight Carat Classic line-up. Glamour Tycoon (Written Tycoon) won the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1340m) last start, while Orchestral (NZ) (Savabeel) and Livid Sky (NZ) (Proisir) finished second and third in this month’s Group Three Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m).

Charmer (NZ) (Charm Spirit) was runner-up in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki last month. Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj) and About Time (NZ) (American Pharoah) were the second and third placegetters in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) at Te Rapa.

The Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic will be run as Race 8 at Pukekohe on Boxing Day, with a scheduled start time of 4.49pm.