Force of Will (NZ) Overpowers Desert Gold Rivals

Series newcomer Force of Will (NZ) (Power) got her New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year campaign underway with a dominant performance in Saturday’s $70,000 Group Three New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

Trained by Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott at Matamata for owner-breeder Sir Owen Glenn’s Go Bloodstock, Force of Will headed to Trentham with three career starts under her belt. After a sixth on debut in December, the filly had recorded highly impressive back-to-back wins at Tauranga in the first half of January.

She stepped up to stakes company for the first time on Saturday and went to a new level.

Force of Will dropped back and settled in the second half of the field, with only four runners behind her for the majority of the race. But jockey Craig Grylls brought her out into clear air in the top of the straight and sent her into top gear, and Force of Will charged down the outside of the track.

She swept to the lead at the 150-metre mark and went clear, scoring by a length and a quarter.

“Big thanks to Lance and Andrew, along with Sir Owen and the rest of the owners for giving me the opportunity to ride this filly today,” Grylls said. “It’s an exciting performance, so early in her career.

“I didn’t get the best of runs – caught three deep, although I did have cover. But she just travelled so well throughout the race. I just had to keep telling myself, ‘Just wait, just wait,’ because she was going so well.

“When you let her down, she’s got a brilliant turn of foot. She was gawking around a bit after she hit the front, so she’s still got improvement to come with more racing.”

With a pedigree that traces back to champion mare Horlicks (NZ) (Three Legs) as fourth dam, Force of Will has now won three of her four starts and $56,000 in stakes.

“I’m thrilled for Sir Owen, I think he has got himself a very promising filly,” O’Sullivan said. “It’s a great result. The black type she picks up from the win cements her value when Sir Owen retires her to his broodmare band.

“We were stepping into the unknown a little with her, because we weren’t sure she could get the trip, especially on a track where it is a tough mile. Her last two runs suggested she was looking for more ground, and after what we’ve seen today, she might be able to get further still.”

Saturday’s victory earned 6 NZB Filly of the Year Series points for Force of Will, who moves straight into equal fifth place on the table alongside fellow Group Three winners Miss Aotearoa (NZ) (Per Incanto), De La Terre (NZ) (Reliable Man) and Whimsical (NZ) (Savabeel).

Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma) remains at the top of the table with 15 points, followed by Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel) and Needle and Thread (Makfi) with 8 each, and Miss Tycoon Rose (Written Tycoon) with 7.

Saturday’s runner-up Victorem (NZ) (Shooting to Win) earned 3 points, while Passione (NZ) (Proisir) picked up 1.5 points for third. Notably, Passione is a half-sister to Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy), who was NZB Filly of the Year in 2017-18.

The next stop in this season’s NZB Filly of the Year Series is at Te Rapa on February 18, with the running of the $100,000 Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m).