Fix the One to Beat in NZB’s Filly Series

It came down to another tight finish but yet again Fix (NZ) showed her determination and fighting spirit to take her third consecutive Group 2 victory in Saturday’s $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m).

Fix (Iffraaj x Destined) came into the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic – the eighth leg of NZB’s Filly of the Year Series – with the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic/Group 2 NZB Royal Stakes double to her name and the Series lead with 19.5 points.

With Saturday’s race awarding eight points to the winner, the daughter of Iffraaj is now the filly to beat in the Series and she sits on 27.5 points – 8.5 points clear of rival Soriano who now has 19 points after finishing second in Saturday’s race.

Trained by Ken & Bev Kelso, Fix was ridden by Vinnie Colgan who rode her like the best filly in the field, taking her straight to the front, and that is where she stayed as she held off the fast finishing Soriano and More Than Sacred in the straight to win by half-a-length.

“She’s a tough filly and she was very brave on Saturday,” commented co-trainer Bev Kelso. “We are sitting down with her owner Gary Harding today to finalise plans for her as there are plenty of options available but until we have discussed it we can’t say where she will be heading next.”

Soriano (Savabeel x Call Me Lily) raced well for second, taking her fourth consecutive Series placing in Group races, while More Than Sacred (More Than Ready x Danalaga) stuck on well for third place. The pair earned four and two points respectively.

With just two legs remaining in the Series, Fix’s 8.5 point margin over rival Soriano – who is now the only filly that can beat Fix – makes for an intriguing finale to the Filly of the Year Series. Only two legs remain in the 10 race Series, the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2 March) which will offer six points to the winner and the final leg – the Group 1 NZ Oaks (16 March) – offering 12 points.

Fix was bred by Frantic Bloodstock Ltd & Haunui Farm and was purchased by her owner Gary Harding from Haunui Farm at New Zealand Bloodstock’s 2011 Karaka Premier Sale for $220,000. She has now won six of her 10 starts for just shy of $250,000 in stakes.

Haunui Farm sold a half-sister to Fix by Zabeel (Lot 103) at this year’s Karaka Premier Sale for $800,000, the highest priced filly to be sold at Karaka 2013. Haunui stand Fix’s sire Iffraaj (sire of 10 stakes winners) and also the young sire Showcasing whose oldest southern hemisphere progeny are now weanlings. Showcasing (Oasis Dream) is a close relation to Destined (Danehill) – the dam of Fix.

To view the current points table for New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series, click here.