Filly of the Year Series Coming Down to the Wire

The penultimate race in the 2007/8 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series sees talented three-year-old filly Insouciant hoping to hang on to her Series lead in the Group 3 $75,000 First Sovereign Trust Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Trentham on Saturday.

The Mark Walker trained Insouciant (Keeper x Loudenne) currently sits on 22 points in the Filly Series, five points clear of her nearest rival, following wins in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas, and the Group 3 Ezibuy Eulogy Stakes, both over a mile.

She subsequently finished second behind Katoon (Kaapstad x Toonsie) in a bold run in the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) at her last start. She will be partnered with Michael Walker again on Saturday.

With six points at stake for Saturday's winner, and the second filly on the leader board Keepa Cruisin (Keeper x Just Cruising) not lining up, just one filly is within striking distance of the leader. The Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott trained Satinka (Stravinsky x Miss Saigon), while disappointing at her last two starts, has already won two races in the Series, with the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes (2000m) under her belt.

With 16 points to date, a win on Saturday would tie Satinka with Insouciant for first place in the Series, provided Insouciant doesn't finish in second or third place in which case she would pick up a valuable 3 or 1.5 points respectively and retain her lead.

Winner of the last leg of the Series is Katoon who ran down a front-running Insouciant at Te Rapa on 9 February. Trained by Roger James, the filly has had two wins, two seconds and a third from her six raceday outings, and is the current $3 favourite for the final race in the Series, the Group 1 Gillies Group New Zealand Oaks (2400m) on 15 March. Gavin McKeon retains the mount.

Also lining up with points already on the table is Pretty Vegas (Viking Ruler x Straight Show) for trainers Wayne and Vanessa Hillis. Finishing third behind Katoon and Insouciant in the Group 2 event at her last start, she has shown consistency throughout the season and could be one to add points to her current tally of 7.5.

Breaking her maiden at her last start, Keepolaria (Keeper x Calceolaria) is yet another winner for her young sire Keeper. Trained by the O'Sullivan/Scott partnership for Karreman Bloodstock, the filly beat Divine Rebel in the 2000m event at Te Rapa on 2 February. She will have David Walsh aboard this time out.

Rounding off the eight-horse field will be Exquisite (Golan x Elyzabel) for John Wheeler, Princess Annaliese (Van Nistelrooy x My Funny Face) for Lisa Latta, and Calatrava (Desert Prince x Emerald Zeel) for Mike and Paul Moroney.

Saturday's Group 3 First Soveriegn Lowland Stakes will jump at 3:45pm

2007/2008 Filly of the Year Points Table