Insouciant Strengthens Series Lead

The Mark Walker trained Insouciant (Keeper x Loudenne by Palace Music) strengthened her lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with an overwhelming four-length victory in the Group 3 Ezibuy Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Awapuni on Saturday.

Racing in the colours of her breeders, Peter and Philip Vela of Pencarrow Stud, and ridden by the Stud's retained rider Michael Walker, the New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas winner stormed home to record her fourth win from six starts.

Insouciant now has 18 points in the Series, nine points ahead of her nearest rival Keepa Cruisin (Keeper x Just Cruising by Broad Reach) with her next assignment being the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day which carries eight points for the winner.

A half-brother to Insouciant by G.1 Breeders Cup Turf winner Johar is entered in the 2008 Karaka Premier Sale (28 & 29 January) by Pencarrow Stud at Lot 231.

Group 1 Levin Classic winner Keepa Cruisin and Insouciant are two of five stakes winners for their Cambridge Stud sire Keeper (Danehill) the others being Group 2 ARC Royal Stakes winner Keep The Passion, Group 2 MRC Sandown Guineas winner Sender and Listed Levin Ryder Classic winner Keep The Message. During his racing career, Keeper won seven of his 16 starts including the Group 1 SAJC Goodwood Handicap. Keeper is represented by five fillies and four colts at the Premier Sale, plus 20 in the Select Sale and eight in the Festival Sale.

Both registering their first points on the leaderboard on Saturday was second placegetter Leanne Bertling's Somethymesoon (Postponed x Cardamom by Volksraad) while a further three-quarters-of-a-length back in third was Vanessa and Wayne Hillis's Pretty Vegas (Viking Ruler x Straight Show by Straight Strike).

The current standings are as follows:

Click here for more information on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.