Final Three Legs to Determine NZB Filly of the Year Supremacy

29 January 2026

Filly of the Year trophy.

With the grand finale of the $1m Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) now only three weeks away, the final three races in the NZB Filly of the Year Series will decide who takes out the coveted title for 2025-26. 

Saturday’s $175,000 Group Two Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m) is the ninth leg of the 11-race series and is worth 8 points to the winner, 4 for second and 2 for third.

After the first eight races of the series, the equal leaders with 20 points each are Well Written (Written Tycoon) and Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca). Both of those fillies are pointing towards the $4m NZB Kiwi (1500m) and will play no further part in the series, so everything can change in these final three races.

Like Saturday’s Lowland, the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 7 carries 8 points for first, 4 for second and 2 for third.

In the one that matters most, the Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks, the winner will earn 12 points, with 7 for second and 3.5 for third. There is going to be some significant movement on the NZB Filly of the Year Series leaderboard over the next few weeks.

Among those looking to begin their march up the points table is Origin Of Love (Snitzel), who goes into the Lowland Stakes with 7 points to her name. That puts her in sixth place on the table, just one point behind the equal third-ranked Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park), Tellum (NZ) (Ocean Park) and Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma). A top-three finish on Saturday will see her leapfrog those three fillies and move into outright third.

The only other filly in the Lowland Stakes field with points already to her name is Crimson Sky (NZ) (Ocean Park), who earned 1.5 points from her last-start third placing in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).

But a win in either this race or the Fillies’ Classic, followed by victory in the Oaks, will earn any filly 20 points and a place at the very top of the leaderboard. The outcome of the whole series is going to depend on these final three races.

The Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes will be run as Race 6 at Trentham on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 3.33pm.

# HORSE DRAW COMMENTS SALE PURCHASER
1 Origin Of Love 7 Te Akau Racing's Origin Of Love (Snitzel) currently sits in sixth place on the NZB Filly of the Year Series table with 7 points, and while the equal leaders are currently out of reach with 20 points, a top-three finish in the Lowland will move her into third spot on the leaderboard. Origin Of Love won the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1600m) against male three-year-olds in October, then joined the NZB Filly of the Year Series and finished fifth in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), second in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and second in the Group Two Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m).    
2 Crimson Sky 1 Although she is still a maiden, Crimson Sky (NZ) (Ocean Park) has already made an impact in the NZB Filly of the Year Series and has 1.5 points to her name. She finished sixth and second in maiden company in her first two starts, then took a big step up and ran home strongly for third in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) two weeks ago. Crimson Sky was a $20,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2024 and has already exceeded that with $22,995 in stakes. Karaka 2024, Book 2 Challenge Racehorse Syndications, $20,000
3 Ariadne 3 There is a Lowland Stakes family legacy to live up to for Ariadne (NZ) (Almanzor), whose dam Posavina (NZ) (Tiger Hill) won this race in 2010. Ariadne was bought for $95,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2024. She was unplaced over 1400 metres on debut in October, then made a big impression with a come-from-behind maiden victory over 1600 metres at Pukekohe on November 8. Her only start since then produced a third placing in a three-year-old race over 1600 metres at Ellerslie on New Year's Day, beaten by two lengths by Group One New Zealand Derby (2400m) favourite Towering Vision (NZ) (Circus Maximus). Karaka 2024, Book 1 RA James/R Wellwood, $95,000
4 Fringes 6 The Desert Gold Stakes will be only the second career start for Fringes (NZ) (Niagara), who produced a big finish from the back of the field to win over 1400 metres on debut at Otaki on Boxing Day. Fringes is out of Miss Jaydeejay (NZ) (Golan), a winning full-sister to the Group One Victoria Derby (2500m) winner Kibbutz (NZ) (Golan).    
5 Sweet Talkin Gal 14 Sweet Talkin Gal (Anders) made a good impression in the spring with a maiden win and two eye-catching placings behind the likes of subsequent Group Three winner and Group One placegetter Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel). She hasn't had all favours since then, finishing fifth in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) and outside the placings in the Group Two Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m).    
6 Iffigive 4 Iffigive (NZ) (Contributer) has produced strong finishes to end up in the first four placings in all but one of her five starts so far. That includes a highly creditable last-start performance in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) two weeks ago, finishing fourth and only 1.7 lengths from the winner.    
7 The Explosive 10 Bred and raced by Luigi Muollo's Explosive Breeding, The Explosive (NZ) (King Of Comedy) has shown promise in her three-start career. She finished fifth and second in her first two starts, then stepped up into stakes company with a fourth in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth last Saturday.    
8 Clara Bow 8 By Ocean Park (NZ) out of a sister to Ace High, the well-related Clara Bow (NZ) was a $120,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2024. Notably, her half-sister by Street Boss sold for $475,000 during Book 1 of Karaka 2026 earlier this week. Clara Bow has never finished further back than fourth in her three-start career, the most recent being a second placing at Matamata on January 23, beaten by only a short neck. Karaka 2024, Book 1 Summertime Holdings, $120,000
9 Summer In London 5 Summer In London (NZ) boasts quality bloodlines. The daughter of champion stallion Savabeel is a half-sister to the Group Two Emancipation Stakes (1500m) winner Promise Of Success (Dansili). The third dam is a half-sister to the dam of the great Galileo and Sea The Stars. Summer In London herself has had just two starts, with a fifth over 1800 metres on debut in late December followed by a second behind Group Two-performed stablemate Born To Be Royal (King's Legacy) over 2000 metres at Matamata last week. She looks a natural stayer.    
10 Ultimate Habit 11 Taranaki filly Ultimate Habit (Embellish) ran fourth and second in her first two starts, then joined the NZB Filly of the Year Series and was far from disgraced when sixth in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) on January 17.    
11 Roccadonna 12 Roccadonna (NZ) (Contributer) has had only two starts so far, finishing fourth over 1400 metres in early December and third over 1500 metres earlier this month. This is a big step up in class and distance, but trainers Roger James and Robert Wellwood have done that successfully on many occasions in the past.    
12 The Ritz 13 The Ritz (NZ) (Almanzor) has one of the best pedigrees in this line-up. She is a half-sister to the multiple Group One performer and sire Savile Row (NZ) (Makfi), while another half-sibling, Needle And Thread (NZ) (Makfi), won at Group Two level and is the dam of unbeaten Australian two-year-old Warwoven (Sword Of State). The Ritz herself has made promising progress through her five-start career, finishing a close fourth in both of her two most recent appearances. Karaka 2024, Book 1 JM Casey, $50,000
13 Luckytobehere 2 Luckytobehere (NZ) (Proisir) has had eight starts to date, with the best result being a third over 1400 metres at New Plymouth in November. Trainer Clinton Isdale has already been a Group Three winner this week, taking out the Taranaki Cup (1800m) with Knights Realm (NZ) (Castledale).    
14 Acushla 9 Ribchester filly Acushla (NZ) made her debut at Tauherenikau on January 2 with a sixth over 1600 metres, and she followed that up with the same placing over the same distance at Wanganui on January 19. Karaka 2024, Book 2 Psd, Res $40,000