Katie Lee Unassailable

Gorgeous grey Katie Lee built herself an unassailable lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series when she galloped away with the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa on Saturday.

Carrying the colours of the race sponsor, Cambridge Stud's Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, Katie Lee's victory was fitting also in that her win came at her owners' home track in the race named after Sir Tristram who provided a wonderful foundation for the leading breeders through the exploits of his progeny.

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Ridden by Mark Du Plessis for the first time, Katie Lee was positioned with cover from her 2 barrier, stalking the leading bunch. Rounding for home Du Plessis wasted no time in finding the formidable filly room and he kicked her away, at one stage two lengths in front of the closest chasers.

Down to the wire the swoopers arrived late but Katie Lee had by that time sewn the race up with her fighting spirit and sheer determination. The winning margin was a short neck over November Rain (Stravinsky) in 2.03.26, with C'mon Cuba (Thorn Park) finishing in third.

The eight points received for winning the Group 2 event took Katie Lee to 38 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series, while November Rain and C'Mon Cuba both received their first points of the Series with four and two points respectively.

With just two races yet to be contested in the Series, Katie Lee has established an unassailable lead of 25 points over second placed Keep the Peace, and as such will be crowned the 2009/10 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year.

Won by some formidable females in the past including Daffodil, Princess Coup, Tycoon Lil, Snap, Noble Heights, Tang, and La Mer, Katie Lee follows in their footsteps and no doubt she will be represented as the dam and grand-dam of many superior gallopers in the future.

Trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson have done a marvellous job with their charge who has contested seven of the eight Filly of the Year races this season, winning three of them and placing in the remainder.

With the crown fitted firmly upon the head of Katie Lee, connections now have the serious decision on their hands of whether to race in the Group 1 NZ Oaks (2400m) on 20 March or take on the boys in the $2.2 million Group 1 Telecom NZ Derby (2400m) on 6 March.

Click here for the current NZB Filly of the Year points table.

The next race in the Series is the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Hawke's Bay on 6 March.