Five Fillies In Search of Southern Filly Title

In form three-year-old filly Kisses will be one of five fillies looking to secure NZB’s Southern Filly of the Year Series on Saturday in the final leg of the four race Series, the $50,000 Listed NZB Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton.

Kisses (Iffraaj) was an easy winner of the last leg, the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m), which awarded her seven points and a share of the Series lead with Annabel Rose (Pins) who will also contest Saturday’s race and Emerald Queen (O’Reilly) who is absent from the field.

In what is an exciting finish to the Series, in total there are five fillies – Kisses, Annabel Rose,Adolay, If I Can I Can and Marmi – who can all take the outright Series victory on Saturday pending on how the 7 points for first, 3 for second and 1 for third are awarded.

Among Kisses and Annabel Rose’s main rivals is Adolay (Fast ’N’ Famous) who will be one of two fillies sporting the Pencarrow Stud colours and is well placed in the race having run second to Kisses at her last start, earning three points. Stablemate North of Sunset (Red Ransom) had no luck in the same race after a tuff run being posted wide throughout and will be out to make amends on Saturday.

The Airfreight stakes saw If I Can I Can (Iffraaj) and Marmi (Lion Heart) dead heat for third place earning one point each and both have some experience at a distance greater than a mile.

The lightly raced Rose Of Virginia (Thorn Park) has had just five starts for two wins, the second of which came at her last start over 1500 metres and she will make her stakes debut in the race.

Zabeel filly Genus will make the trip south for the race after placing over 2200 metres at Ellerslie at her last start for the inform Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman stable, while the Oaks Stud raced Diamond Grace (Bachelor Duke) will join her on the float south after just five starts in the North Island.

Persia (Perfectly Ready), Champagne Katie (Darci Brahma) and Pamina (Keeper) complete the field and all contested the last leg of the Series finishing behind Kisses and will be in search of their first Series points in Saturday’s race.

To view the current points table for the Southern Filly of the Year Series, click here.

The final Leg of NZB’s Southern Filly of the Year Series, the Listed NZB Warstep Stakes, will be held at Riccarton Racecourse on Saturday at 2.46pm.