Eight Carat Classic Marks Halfway

Ellerslie's Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Saturday marks the halfway point in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.

As the fifth leg in the ten race Series, the $100,000 Eight Carat, which offers eight points for first place, four points for second, and two points for the third placed filly, has attracted a talented group of 15 fillies.

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�Katie Lee winning the Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas (1600m)

Current leader in the Filly of the Year Series on 16.5 points is dual Group 1 NZ Guineas winner Katie Lee (Pins x Miss Jessie Jay).The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson trained filly heads the Eight Carat field on Saturday in what will be the fourth Series leg she has contested.

At her previous start in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) a fortnight ago Katie Lee finished a close second after being run down late by Veronica Franco (Johar). The superior filly's only query on Saturday will be the return to right handed racing after claiming all her major glory this season left handed. However the Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan owned filly did win the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes at Ellerslie as a juvenile.

The only other filly to take part in the Group 2 Eight Carat with points accrued in the 2009/10 Series is the John Sargent trained St Germaine (Keeper x Selenium). Having beaten Katie Lee in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) in September, which gave her six points in the Series, St Germaine has gone on to be placed in both the Group 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas and, at her last start, the Group 1 Levin Classic against the boys.

A high class filly, St Germaine will be steered by the in-form Mark Du Plessis.

Five last start winners take their place in the Eight Carat on Saturday including Dean, Donna Logan, and Chris Gibbs trained Jungle Juice (Jungle Pocket x Shadow Ray) who beat Group 1 NZ 2000 Guineas second place-getter Military Move when she took out the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at her last start before going for a break.

Set for the Group 1 NZ Oaks in March, Jungle Juice will be primed to put her best foot forward on Saturday for her Hong Kong-based owner, Dominic Li.

Comme Tu Veux (Howbaddouwantit x Justa Babe) has mixed it with the boys all season when winning the Listed Ray Coupland Stakes (1400m) in September and running a solid fifth in the Group 1 Levin Classic at her last start. The Richard Yuill trained filly has form on the course having won two of three at Ellerslie.

Kevin Gray's Gofonze (Golan x Elfonze) is a tough front-running competitor who just missed a place in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas in November. She will have to work hard from barrier 11 but has the benefit having leading jockey Michael Coleman in the saddle.

The Paul Jenkins trained Street Party (Handsome Ransom x Centenary) has strong form surrounding her two wins from just four starts. Close up behind Prince of Wales and Finderskeepers two starts back, Street Party got a good view of the Ellerslie track when powering home by three lengths over 1200m at her last start.

John Sargent's other Eight Carat contender, Blonde Bombshell (Towkay x Millie Munroe), is another who won last time out at Ellerslie by three lengths. The untapped filly has not missed a placing in three starts and will be ridden by this year's Melbourne Cup and Victorian Derby winning jockey Corey Brown from barrier 6.

Graham Richardson's Italian Princess (Bertolini x Our Chickaroonie) and Stephen Mckee's Adaline (Court of Jewels x Red Covet) have both shown plenty of promise in putting two wins together on the trot, and both will have to overcome wide barriers to make it three on Saturday.

Wayne and Vanessa Hillis' promising Volksraad filly Marsh Harbour (Volksraad x Pasithea, by Crested Wave) was caught three wide in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes at her last start and her effort told in a lackluster performance. She has drawn barrier 13 again on Saturday with jockey Michael Walker hoping for more luck on his first ride on the filly.

Other winners in the field include Richard Yuill's Tossed and Turned (Secret Savings x Dolphinima), Anne Herbert and Hadley Searle's Prairie Star (High Chaparral x Maryann Jones), and Roger James' Pearl Dancer (Danehill Dancer x Kaapture the Heart) who have all drawn well in 8, 4, and 5 respectively.

The field is completed by the acceptance of lightly tried Francilienne (Danroad x Astral Way) for Jean Pfersdorff and Smarttart (Don Eduardo x To The Manor) for Glen Anderton.

The $100,000 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic is set to jump at Ellerslie at 4.07pm on Boxing Day.

Click here for the current NZB Filly of the Year leader board.