Fillies Step Up to 2000m

Fillies following the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series pathway are set to step up to 2000m on Friday in the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes.

As part of a quality packed race-card at Ellerslie on New Year's Day the $100,000 event for three-year-old fillies is one of five Group races on the card highlighted by the running of the Group 1 Railway Handicap (1200m).

The NZB Royal Stakes is the sixth event in the ten-race New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series and in the past 50 years it has been won by superior fillies the calibre of La Mer, Kindled, Noble Heights, Shagolvin, Solveig, Royal Heights, Plume, Alacrity, Arletty, Tycoon Lil, Savannah Success, Sarwatch, La Bella Dama, Shikoba, and Satinka.

This race has the ability to give the Filly of the Year table a real shake-up as it is the first Series race contested past 1600 and like last week's Eight Carat Stakes, eight Series points are awarded to the winner, four for second, and two points for third.

The unstoppable current Series leader Katie Lee (Pins x Miss Jessie Jay, by Spectacularphantom) backs up into the 2000m event after proving victorious in the Group 2 Eight Carat Stakes (1600m) on Boxing Day.

A dominant leader with 24.5 points, 17.5 points ahead of Keep the Peace (Keeper), Katie Lee won't be setting records like her Guineas double if she backs up for victory as Satinka (Stravinsky) achieved the Eight Carat - Royal Stakes double just two years ago.

Drawn seven in the 12 horse field with regular hoop Opie Bosson aboard, Katie Lee should find a handy spot in running and will again take all sorts of beating providing she sees out the trip for her trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson.

Veronica Franco (Johar x Crystal Hailey, by Greinton) is the only filly to beat Katie Lee in her past five starts, and the Roger James/Paul Mirabelli trained filly looks the Series leader's biggest danger again on Friday from barrier nine.

The big filly finishes off her races strongly and the step up to 2000m now looks ideal after her past three victories at a mile.

Stable-mate Adulterer (Traditionally x It's My Sin, by Success Express) looks to also appreciate more ground with strong late finishes her past four starts including third in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes, two and a half lengths behind Veronica Franco.

Owned by Patinack Farm, Adulterer will have the services of Michael Rodd on Saturday from barrier six.

Bar Veronica Franco, Stephen McKee's Adaline (Court of Jewels x Red Covet, by St Covet) got the closest to beating Katie Lee in the past three months when she closed within a head of the bonny grey this past Saturday in the Group 2 Eight Carat Stakes.

With Leith Innes aboard from barrier five the two-time winning filly should receive a handy trip in running and prove tough to get past in the home straight.

Father-son training combination Murray and Bjorn Baker saddle two chances in the race in which they trained last year's pre-post favourite Alagant Satin (Al Akbar) to finish sixth.

This year the Baker's start Alagant Satin's full sister Fyra Satin (Al Akbar x Glowing Satin, by Noble Bijou) and last start winner La Collina (Van Nistelrooy x Oenotria, by O'Reilly).

Fyra Satin won at a mile before producing a gutsy effort for sixth when caught wide in the Listed Great Northern Guineas (2100m) at Ellerslie last start. Jockey Michael Coleman will be hoping for better luck from barrier 11 on Saturday.

La Collina has won twice right-handed and hails from Group 1 Victorian Oaks performer Our Lafite (Sovereign Edition). Hugh Bowman takes the mount on the filly who has drawn one inside her stable-mate in 10.

Pencarrow Stud have the privilege of starting two promising staying fillies in the Group 2 Royal Stakes, a race which they have won with their breed twice in the past ten years with Sarwatch and Lafleur.

Mark Walker trains the Pencarrow duo which includes two fillies certainly bred to get the trip in Posavina (Tiger Hill x Dance my Dance, by Sadler's Wells) and Via Veneto (Cape Cross x Shopping Spree, by Sadler's Wells).

Posavina, who has drawn the outside barrier, won last start over 1600m at Ellerslie and New Zealand's leading rider James McDonald has chosen to stick with the lightly tried filly on the first day in 2010.

Via Veneto, like Posavina, is by an internationally proven Group 1 producing sire, and out of a mare by the influential Sadler's Wells. Having won by a length on debut, Via Veneto produced a solid second behind older horses at her last start and looks capable of figuring in the finish from barrier two with Vinnie Colgan aboard.

Janelle Millar's La Marina (Golan x In the Vain, by Vain), along with Katie Lee, are the only two $200,000 Karaka 3YO Mile eligible fillies in the race with La Marina's strong work late for sixth in the Group 3 Eulogy  encouraging for next assignment in the Group 2 NZB Royal Stakes.

The remainder of the Group 2 field is made up of promising fillies in search of  more ground to show their best including John Wheeler's Royal Spin (His Royal Highness x Sylvie's Way, by Blues Traveller), Lance Noble's Mercury Mistress (No Excuse Needed x Flytaine, by Centaine), and Robert Priscott and Clayton Chipperfield's Rivereena (Savabeel x Riveryev, by Irish River).

The Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie is set to jump at 4.25pm on New Year's Day.

Click here to view the current NZB Filly of the Year points table.