Full Field for Sir Tristram Fillies Classic

A field full of 16 of New Zealand's leading three-year-old fillies has been assembled for the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) to be run at Te Rapa this Saturday.

As the eighth race in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series the $100,000 event asks the classic fillies to step up to 2000m just a month before the Group 1 NZ Oaks (2400m) on 20 March.

The first three home in the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic will earn 8, 4, and 2 points respectively, especially valuable for those doing their level best to chase down current Series leader Katie Lee (Pins x Miss Jessie Jay) who has accumulated 30 points.

Set to carry the Cambridge Stud colours in the Cambridge Stud sponsored event, Katie Lee will be stepping up to the 2000m for just the second time with a second placing behind Adaline in the Group 2 Royal Stakes the result of her first attempt beyond 1600m.

The Graeme and Debbie Rogerson trained filly will strip fighting fit and from barrier two with Mark Du Plessis aboard she should get every chance of running out the trip solidly.

The next three in the book have all met and beaten Katie Lee home in their past three starts, though the bonny grey has dealt them each a defeat or two also.

Keep the Peace (Keeper x Piece of Mind), who may yet still line up in the Group 1 Darci Brahma International Stakes (2000m) on the same day, won the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) last start with fellow Fillies Classic competitor Marsh Harbour (Volksraad x Pasithea) and Katie Lee filling the placings.

Both Keep the Peace and Marsh Harbour will be trying 2000m for the first time for their trainers Shaune Ritchie and Wayne and Vanessa Hillis with Keep The Peace currently sitting in second place in the NZB Filly of the Year leader-board, 17 points in arrears of Katie Lee.

Veronica Franco (Johar x Crystal Hailey) defeated Katie Lee in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and ran fourth in the Group 2 Royal Stakes. A super consistent filly for her trainers Roger James and Paul Mirabelli, Veronica Franco will be primed for Saturday and jumps from the ace barrier.

Murray and Bjorn Baker's La Collina (Van Nistelrooy x Oenotria) and Frank Ritchie's Obsession (Bachelor Duke x Mystery Creek) have drawn alongside each other in barrier 10 and 11 and both have shown and abundance of ability this preparation.

La Collina ran a strong third over the 2000m trip of the Group 2 Royal Stakes last start, while Obsession fought well for fourth last time out in the Group 3 Desert Gold.

Mark Walker trained Corsage (Volksraad x Spray) has never finished further back than fifth in 12 starts, a considerable achievement considering she has competed in three Group 1 contests, two Group races, and three Listed events including the Karaka Million.

She is set to jump from barrier 5 with Sam Spratt aboard and drawn to her inside is another major player in the field in Richard Collett's November Rain (Stravinsky x Lady Teruko). She was good enough to finish a nose and half a head away from Joey Massino in the Group 3 Wellington Guineas last time out.

Two-time winners in the remainder of the field include Ken Kelso's Miss Sharapova (Ustinov x Young and Free), Donna, Dean Logan, and Chris Gibbs trained C'mon Cuba (Thorn Park x Hecuba), and Mark Walker's Pezzaglia (High Chaparral x Paolino), all of whom are yet to step to 2000m but on previous form look ready for extra ground.

Other winning fillies in the field include Peter Huxtable's Barbara Michelle (Silver River x Summer Star), along with three others who have drawn wide marbles, Anne Herbert and Hadley Searle's Prairie Star (High Chaparral x Maryann Jones) in 14, John Sargent's Utopia (High Chaparral x Joie De Vivre) in 13, and Mark Walker's second Pencarrow Stud owned filly, Posavina (Tiger Hill x Dance My Dance) in 12.

Translated (Traditionally x Traelae) for Graeme and Mark Sanders makes up the field, and though not a winner, she has placed at 2000m or beyond on two occasions.

Click here for the current NZB Filly of the Year leader-board.

The $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) is set to jump at 3.00pm at Te Rapa on Saturday.