Guineas Adds Group One Glow to NZB Filly of the Year Series
15 November 2024
The 2024-25 NZB Filly of the Year Series will up the ante this Saturday with the running of the hugely anticipated third leg, the $550,000 Group One Barneswood Farm 52nd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
One of just two Group One races in the 11-leg series, the 1000 Guineas is worth a pivotal 12 points to the winner, with 8 points for second and 6 for third.
The prestigious 1000 Guineas has previously been a stepping stone to Filly of the Year Series success for the likes of Noble Heights (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Our Flight (NZ) (Imperial Guard), Burletta (NZ) (Three Legs), Phillipa Rush (NZ) (Prince Echo), Snap (NZ) (Kingdom Bay), Tartan Tights (NZ) (Tights), Tycoon Lil (Last Tycoon), Taatletail (NZ) (Faltaat), Justa Tad (NZ) (Istidaad), Insouciant (NZ) (Keeper), Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), Katie Lee (Pins), King’s Rose (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice), Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock), Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago), Platinum Witness (California Dane) and the last two winners, Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) and Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High).
The early stages of the 2024-25 Filly of the Year Series have been dominated by the flying filly Alabama Lass (Alabama Express). She is undefeated in three starts this spring, including both of the first two legs of the series – the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on September 7 and the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on October 26.
Alabama Lass has 14 points to her name in the Filly of the Year Series, which gives her a commanding 10-point lead over the second-placed Kitty Flash (NZ) (Ace High) with 4. Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) is third with 3 points, followed by Love Poem (Snitzel) with 2 and Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) with 1.5.
But the Filly of the Year Series always starts to change complexion with the 1000 Guineas. The Gold Trail and the Soliloquy are the only legs at 1200 and 1400 metres, and every race from now on will be run over a mile or further. If Alabama Lass has any chink in her armour, it might be those increasing distances.
On the other hand, Captured By Love has produced strong finishes to place in this season’s Gold Trail Stakes, Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) and Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m), while Kitty Flash was rapidly eating into the winning margin of Alabama Lass when second in the Soliloquy.
Love Poem, who was third in the Soliloquy, has already proven herself over the 1600-metre distance of the 1000 Guineas with her highly creditable second against male three-year-olds in last Saturday’s Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
The chances don’t end there either, with Raziah (NZ) (Niagara) an emphatic winner of this spring’s Group Three Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) and Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m), while Sexy And I Moet (Pierro) was a close last-start fourth in the Soliloquy. Connello (NZ) (Time Test), Costae (NZ) (Ribchester) and Movin Out (NZ) (Staphanos) have been impressive recent winners in lower grades.
The Barneswood Farm 52nd New Zealand 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 6 at Riccarton on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 2.58pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alabama Lass | 8 | Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) is the NZB Filly of the Year Series leader with 14 points, having impressively won both of the first two legs - the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). The step up to 1600 metres for Saturday's coveted third leg is unknown territory, although her young sire Alabama Express claimed a Group One VRC Oaks (2500m) victory last week with his daughter Treasurethe Moment. | ||
| 2 | Captured By Love | 6 | A notable claim to fame for Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) is that she is the only horse to beat Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) so far in that filly's five-race career. They finished first and second in last season's Group Two Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m), with Captured By Love beating Alabama Lass by a length and three-quarters. That result was reversed this spring in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), where Captured By Love earned 3 Filly of the Year Series points with her runner-up finish. Captured By Love's next start was in the Group Two Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m), where she missed the start by six lengths but charged home for a remarkable third placing. She then finished third in the Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m). | ||
| 3 | Love Poem | 5 | The well-bred Love Poem is by champion sire Snitzel and is a half-sister to this season's Group Two Caulfield Sprint (1000m) winner Estriella (I Am Invincible). Although she has won just once in a six-race career, Love Poem has been stakes-placed in all of the other five. That includes a Group One placing against male three-year-olds in last Saturday's New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). She also finished third in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) last month, which earned her 2 points in the Filly of the Year Series. | ||
| 4 | Connello | 9 | Owner David Woodhouse has enjoyed a wonderful spring with his homebred mare Belclare (NZ) (Per Incanto), who has won two big-money Group Two races in Sydney in the last few weeks. Woodhouse's great run could continue on home soil with Connello (NZ) (Time Test), who he bought for just $10,000 from the 2022 National Weanling Sale. Connello has had 10 starts for three wins and two placings, and she has scored back-to-back victories at Hawera and Trentham in her two most recent appearances. | 2022 National Weanling Sale | DK Woodhouse, $10,000 |
| 5 | Kitty Flash | 3 | Kitty Flash (NZ) (Ace High) was thrown in at the deep end for her raceday debut in August, finishing a commendable fifth in the Group Three Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m). She won her next two races at Taupo and Te Rapa, then produced a powerful finishing burst for second behind Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). That earned her 4 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series and places her in second on the points table. | ||
| 6 | Raziah | 10 | The white and blue colours of The Oaks Stud were carried to victory in last Saturday's Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) by star colt Savaglee (NZ) (Savabeel). Their hopes of a Guineas double rest with homebred filly Raziah (NZ) (Niagara), who was a Listed placegetter last season and hit new heights this spring with back-to-back wins in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) and Group Three Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m). She was a last-start second placegetter in testing heavy ground in the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1600m). | ||
| 7 | Sexy And I Moet | 2 | Fourth in her only two-year-old appearance, Sexy And I Moet (Pierro) made a bold start to her three-year-old campaign with back-to-back wins at Taupo and Tauranga. She then stepped up on to the big stage for the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), where she ran a close fourth behind Alabama Lass (Alabama Express), Kitty Flash (NZ) (Ace High) and Love Poem (Snitzel). | ||
| 8 | Costae | 1 | Costae (NZ) (Ribchester) was a $55,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2023 and has already earned $58,210 from a four-start career that has produced two wins and two placings. She has won at Awapuni and Ellerslie in her two most recent appearances, and a majority share has since been sold to prominent Australian syndicators OTI Racing. | Karaka 2023, Book 2 | Shaune Ritchie Racing, $55,000 |
| 9 | Cloche | 4 | Otago filly Cloche (NZ) (Ghibellines) recorded a win and a second placing in her first two starts, then stepped up to stakes level with a fourth in testing conditions in the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1600m). | ||
| 10 | Movin Out | 7 | The least experienced runner in this year's 1000 Guineas field is Movin Out (NZ) (Staphanos), who made her debut with a third placing at Waverley on October 20. Her only other start was at Otaki on November 3, where she scored a dominant maiden win. She was a $24,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2023. | Karaka 2023, Book 2 | GD Thurlow, $24,000 |
| 11 | Skymax | 11 | Ferrando filly Skymax (NZ) has had a win and three placings from her 12-race career. She was a last-start sixth placegetter in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). |