Miss Starlight (NZ) Takes Southern Filly Title, But Perlino (NZ) Makes Late Statement

The 2025-26 NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series came to a close at Riccarton on Saturday with an emphatic performance by emerging talent Perlino (NZ) (Super Seth) in the $80,000 Listed NZB Warstep Stakes (2000m).

At the conclusion of the four-race series, the NZB Southern Filly title goes to Miss Starlight (Sweynesse) with 15 points. Bona Sforza (Written By) finished second with 11 points, while Perlino moved into the third spot on the podium with 9.

The table is rounded out by Bobby Mcgee (NZ) (Ancient Spirit) with 7 points, Sweetheart (NZ) (Vanbrugh) with 4 points, and Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel), Intention (NZ) (Bivouac) and Voguish (NZ) (Staphanos) with 2 points each.

Bred, raced and trained by John and Karen Parsons, Miss Starlight played a key role in three of the four legs of this season’s Southern Filly Series. She won the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m), then ran second in both the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) and the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m). She did not contest the Warstep Stakes.

The Parsons team will be presented with the NZB Southern Filly of the Year trophy during the South Island Racing Awards in September. They will also receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 plus GST.

While Miss Starlight was confirmed as NZB Southern Filly of the Year without having to race on Saturday, she has to share the headlines with a super-impressive Warstep Stakes winner who is developing into a quality performer in her own right.

Perlino, who was bought by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis for $120,000 from the Book 1 draft of Curraghmore at Karaka 2024, has now had seven starts for three wins, two placings and $95,895 in stakes.

A strong-finishing third in the NZB Insurance Stakes two weeks earlier, Perlino looked likely to be suited by the step up to 2000 metres for the Warstep on Saturday, and so it proved.

After settling in midfield, Perlino was travelling well but was briefly trapped with horses all around her coming up to the home turn. But jockey Bruno Queiroz moved her across heels and out into clear air at the top of the straight and she began to warm up her engines five off the rail.

Perlino soon hit top flight and drew clear, going on to win by a length and a half from the late-finishing Sweetheart. Voguish crossed the line another two and a quarter lengths away in third.

“It was a really cool, calm and collected ride by Bruno,” said Hunter Durrant, the South Island-based assistant to Te Akau trainers Mark Walker and Sam Bergerson. “He was probably a few pairs further back than we expected, but then he got the gap and she was too good.

“They went a bit hard in front, so I wasn’t that worried, and she has been a quality filly going forward.

“The team here have done a great job with her, and it’s good to get one on the board down here for everyone.”

The Warstep Stakes has a history of serving as a springboard to bigger and better things for its previous winners, including Seamist (NZ) (Beaufort Sea), Ombre Rose (NZ) (O’Reilly), Porotene Gem (NZ) (Pins) and Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) as well as the placegetters Saint Cecile (NZ) (Pompeii Court), Vouvray (NZ) (Zabeel) and Consensus (NZ) (Postponed).

Vendor	Curraghmore
Purchaser	Mr DC Ellis CNZM (BAFNZ) (Te Akau)
Breeding	Super Seth – Palomino
Sale	Lot 289, Karaka 2024 Book 1, $120,000
Breeder	Nearco Stud Limited
Owner	Te Akau Etched In Gold Racing Partnership (Mgr: Karyn Fenton-Ellis MNZM)