Fillies Prepare for Boxing Day Battle

An intriguing field is set to take to the Ellerslie track on Boxing Day in the $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) – the fifth leg of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series.

The race has attracted a good line-up of 10 horses and will see some of the more seasoned fillies come up against some promising lightly tried opposition who are set to make their black-type debuts.

Heading the Group 2 field is the NZB 1000 Guineas placed Fix (Iffraaj) who has proven a tough competitor during her short career, winning three of her seven starts, and she looks well placed in the field.

She heads a competitive field that includes the likes of Soriano (Savabeel) who comes into the race off the back of a standout performance in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes at Awapuni. She currently shares third place in the Series with Pure Elegance (Redoute's Choice) (who is not lining up) on six points.

Soriano’s trainers Graeme & Debbie Rogerson have another runner in the field, the highly promising Costume (Savabeel), who won her last start impressively at Ellerslie and will make her black-type debut.

The unbeaten Habibi (Ekraar) and Perfect Start (Perfectly Ready) are also all last start winners at Ellerslie and look set for this race. Habibi will be making her stakes debut and Perfect Start will be looking to make amends for an unlucky run in the NZB 1000 Guineas where she missed the start.

Iffraaj will have two fillies in the race with his stakes winning daughter Twilight Granita making her Series debut after recording an impressive victory at her last start over 1600 metres at Tauranga.

The Pencarrow Stud bred and raced Biddable (Exceed and Excel) is another that looks an exciting filly and she produced a good finish at her last start at Te Rapa to claim second.

The Moroney/Ormsby partnership will be represented with two runners in Kidwelly (Dylan Thomas) and She's Samashing (Al Samer). Both fillies have cleared maiden ranks and will be having their first start at stakes level.

The Darling One (Lonhro) completes the field and she raced in Australia before coming to New Zealand. She broke maiden company two starts ago and will be having her first start at Ellerslie in the Group 2.

The winner of the $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic will earn 8 points in New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series, with second earning 4 points and third 2 points.

To view the race schedule and current points table for the Filly of the Year Series, click here.