Miss Starlight (NZ) Maintains Perfect Record in Canterbury Belle Stakes

An exciting new star of South Island racing was unveiled when the NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series got underway with the $80,000 Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

It was won by the Canterbury filly Miss Starlight (NZ) (Sweynesse), who is now unbeaten in three starts and has earned $75,645 for her owner-trainer-breeders John and Karen Parsons.

Miss Starlight had shown real promise in winning her first two starts on Riccarton’s synthetic track. She scored by four lengths over 1200 metres on May 29, then returned from a freshen-up with another victory over the same distance on August 6.

Saturday’s NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes loomed as a very different and daunting challenge. It was her first time racing on turf, and she was up against a field full of proven and emerging age-group talent. But Miss Starlight rose to the occasion and passed the test in spectacular style.

Ridden by Tina Comignaghi, Miss Starlight sat on the outside of the front-running Spark (NZ) (Time Test) up until the home turn. Comignaghi pushed the pedal down at that point and Miss Starlight found much more, dashing clear early in the straight.

Stakes winners Bona Sforza (Written By) and Intention (NZ) (Bivouac) tried hard through the last 200 metres, but they were chasing in vain and had to settle for the second and third placings. Miss Starlight swept to victory by a length and three-quarters.

“She is a very special filly and today she stepped up,” Comignaghi said.

“She has never had to go on the grass or had much competition before this, but she proved she is a really special horse.

“I didn’t know what she was going to do out of the gates today – she jumped well in one of her previous starts, and in the other one she didn’t. But she was going well today and I pushed forward.

“I had a handful of horse coming into the straight and I thought I had a chance, but I didn’t know she was going to do that. She’s a very exciting filly for the rest of the spring.”

Miss Starlight is by Sweynesse out of Firelight (NZ) (Fantastic Light), who won five races and has gone on to be the dam of six winners from eight foals to race. Remarkably, John and Karen Parsons also won another race at Riccarton on Saturday with Miss Starlight’s full-sister On File (NZ) (Sweynesse).

Saturday’s win put Miss Starlight straight on the top of the NZB Southern Filly table with 7 points. Bona Sforza is second with 4 points, while Intention slots into third with 2 points.

Miss Starlight’s heroics on Saturday have also thrust her into contention for the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.