Gold Trail Stakes gets NZB Filly of the Year Series Underway

The 47th New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series begins at Hastings on Saturday with the $70,000 Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m).

The prestigious Series is made up of 10 Group races, over distances ranging from 1200 to 2400 metres, between September and March.

The New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year winner 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 Filly of the Year Series trophy and bonus cheques are presented to the winning connections at the Horse of the Year Awards.

The Gold Trail Stakes is the shortest race of the Series, but has often provided an early glimpse of outstanding talent. It was won last year by the Filly of the Year, Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy), while the honour roll also features Group 1 winners such as Snap (NZ) (Kingdom Bay), Taatletail (NZ) (Faltaat), Juice (NZ) (Bertolini), Anabandana (Anabaa), Bounding (Lonhro) and O’Marilyn (NZ) (O’Reilly).

This year’s field is headed by the champion two-year-old of last season, Avantage (Fastnet Rock). Bought for $210,000 at the 2017 Premier Sale, Avantage has won five of her six starts including the Karaka Million (1200m) and the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).

Local filly Xpression (NZ) (Showcasing) won the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) last season and resumed with a stylish win at Taupo last month.

The winner of the Gold Trail Stakes will receive 6 Filly of the Year Series points, with 3 for second and 1.5 for third.

The Gold Trail Stakes will be run as Race 5 on Saturday with a start time of 2.42pm.