Gold Trail Stakes Gets NZB Filly of the Year Series Underway
20 September 2017
The 45th edition of the prestigious New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series will kick off at Hastings on Saturday with the running of the $70,000 Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m).
The title of New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year is awarded to the most outstanding three-year-old filly of her year in New Zealand.
The fillies compete throughout a series of ten races, and are awarded points for wins or placings in each race. Every race carries black type, over distances ranging from 1200 metres to the 2400 metres of the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks.
The title is very keenly contested and carries significant prizes for the owner, trainer and breeder of the ultimate Series winner. The winner of the "New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year" title immediately becomes a highly valuable breeding proposition and earns her connections $50,000 in bonus cheques including $10,000 for her breeder, $10,000 for her trainer and $30,000 for her owner.
The Gold Trail Stakes invariably gets the Series off to an exciting start, with previous winners including the likes of Group 1 winners Snap (NZ) (Kingdom Bay), Taatletail (NZ) (Faltaat), Juice (NZ) (Bertolini), Anabandana (Anabaa), Bounding (Lonhro) and O’Marilyn (O’Reilly).
This year’s race is set to be no different, with a high-quality field headed by the Group 1 placegetter Belle du Nord (NZ) (Reliable Man) and Group 3 winner and Karaka Million placegetter Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel).
The winner of the Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes will earn 6 Filly of the Year Series points, with 3 points for second and 1.5 for third.
The Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes will be run as Race 7 on Saturday with a start time of 3:16pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Belle Du Nord | 11 | Reliable Man filly Belle Du Nord (NZ) placed at Group 1 level in the Manawatu Breeders' Stakes last season and resumed with a solid second at Taupo. The third placegetter in that race has been a Listed winner since. | Emma-Lee & David Browne | Jason Waddell |
| 2 | Hasahalo | 5 | Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) was a Group 3 winner last season and placed in two stakes races including the Karaka Million. Trialled well to prepare her for her resuming run. Trainer Stephen McKee won this race in 2014 with O'Marilyn (O'Reilly). | Stephen McKee | Sam Spratt |
| 3 | Dijon Bleu | 3 | After a third placing resuming at Taupo, Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy) hit a new career high with a four-length win in the Listed O'Leary's Fillies' Stakes at Wanganui last start. | Lisa Latta | |
| 4 | Astor | 9 | Third in her only start last year, Astor (NZ) (Iffraaj) has made a big impression with two wins from two starts in this campaign. She is held in high regard. | Danica Guy | Leith Innes |
| 5 | Florence Jean | 12 | Florence Jean (NZ) (Pins) has had three starts for two big-margin wins and an unlucky sixth at Group 2 level. Finally getting her spring campaign underway after being held up by a virus. | John Morell | Jonathan Riddell |
| 6 | Princess Rihanna | 15 | Consistent filly Princess Rihanna (NZ) (Showcasing) finished fourth in four consecutive stakes races last season. She has placed at the trials and has proven that she can handle rain-affected ground. | Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott | |
| 7 | Charli Rose | 7 | Pierro filly Charli Rose (NZ) has had one start for a dominant win, scoring by three lengths at Matamata in late August. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matt Cameron |
| 8 | Shadow Dancer | 6 | Another impressive winner of her only previous start, Whakanui Stud home-bred Shadow Dancer (NZ) (Snitzel) scored easily at Rotorua in May. | Stephen Marsh | |
| 9 | Caesour's Dream | 10 | Nicconi filly Caesour's Dream (NZ) was a winner at Te Rapa last season and was a consistent performer against strong opposition. Her only real failure came on rain-affected ground. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | |
| 10 | Dance For Money | 4 | After an impressive debut win, Dance For Money (NZ) (Showcasing) stepped up to stakes level for her only other start and ran eighth in the Listed Castletown Stakes. | Gary Vile | |
| 11 | Excelleration | 16 | By Excelleration out of a 1000 Guineas placegetter, Excelleration (NZ) scored by four lengths on debut before running third and then ninth in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes. | Nigel Tiley | Mark Du Plessis |
| 12 | Sophie's Choice | 8 | Fourth at Group 3 level last season and less than four lengths from the winner in the Karaka Million, Sophie's Choice (NZ) (Darci Brahma) resumed with a strong win at Ruakaka before running seventh at Listed level. | Stephen Marsh | |
| 13 | Mongolian Beauty | 13 | Scratched | ||
| 14 | Short Fuse | 1 | Per Incanto filly Short Fuse (NZ) finished second in a strong race at Te Rapa but beat just one runner home at Listed level last time out. | Graham Richardson & Gavin Parker | |
| 15 | La Mia Stella | 2 | Another daughter of Per Incanto from the Richardson-Parker stable, La Mia Stella (NZ) has run fourth and sixth in her two starts to date. | Graham Richardson & Gavin Parker | |
| 16 | Lubaya | 14 | Lubaya (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) is a half-sister to multiple Group 1 winner Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home) and ran sixth in her only previous start. | Roydon Bergerson | Rosie Myers |