NZ Oaks a Fitting End to NZB Filly of the Year

A capacity 18 horse field has been assembled for Saturday's Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks at Trentham, the final race in New Zealand Bloodstock's Filly of the Year Series.

Stacked full of quality the Group 1 fillies classic is run over 2400m for $300,000 and has been won by the likes of Princess Coup, Legs, Boundless, Bramble Rose and Justa Tad in the new millennium.

�

�Bramble Rose, winner of the 2003 Group 1 New Zealand Oaks

Missing from the 2010 Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks is confirmed 2009/10 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Katie Lee (Pins) who is having a well deserved spell in the lush paddocks of Cambridge Stud after competing in seven Series events, winning three of them including the Group 1 NZB 1000 Guineas.

Her absence sees Zarzuela (Zabeel x Star Satire, by Volksraad) head the 2010 field after her fourth placing in the $2.2m Telecom NZ Derby a fortnight ago.

The Mark Walker trained filly has shown a ton of ability and an aptitude for staying in beating the best of the boys in both the Group 2 ARC Championship Stakes (2100m), the Group 2 Great Northern Guineas (2100m), and the Group 3 Waikato Guineas (2000m) this season.

The winner of four from nine starts has the propensity to get back in running but jockey James McDonald may look to place handier from barrier 1 and will take plenty of beating.

Next in the book is Central Districts-trained Eileen Dubh (Storm Creek x Vingtaine, by Centaine) who has been patiently handled by Francis Finnegan having only started twice since winning the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) in November.

The result was a win and a tough placing with big weight for the filly who is yet to compete beyond a mile, and her immediate family features top sprinter-milers the calibre of Group 1 winners Culminate and Captivate. However, the Storm Creek filly's third-dam Soliloquy did produce 1985 New Zealand Oaks winner Solveig.

On the opposite side of the spectrum Stephen McKee's Adaline (Court of Jewels x Red Covet, by St Covet), Shaune Ritchie's Keep the Peace (Keeper x Peace of Mind, by Wild Rampage), John Sargent's A Chance to Dream (Volksraad x Make Me Dream, by Sadler's Wells), Richard Collett's November Rain (Stravinsky x Lady Teruko, by Kris S), Mark Walker's Posavina (Tiger Hill x Dance My Dance, by Sadler's Wells) and Corsage (Volksraad x Spray, by Entrepreneur), plus Ken Kelso's Miss Sharapova (Ustinov x Young and Free, by Kenmare) have all won or placed in Group or Listed events at 2000m and beyond.

Drawn 10, Adaline won the Group 2 NZB Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year's Day before finishing mid-field in the Listed Sunline Vase (2100m) last week.

A Chance to Dream won the Vase impressively by four lengths, clearly relishing the extra distance which, being out of a Sadler's Wells mare from the family of English Oaks winners Midway Lady and Eswarah, her pedigree indicates. She has drawn mid-field and has the services of the in-form Mark Du Plessis.

November Rain and Corsage filled the minor placings in the Sunline Vase and both will be looking to settle just off the pace with cover from barrier 2 and 5 respectively.

Posavina lead all the way last start in the Group 3 Lowland Stakes (2100m) and will be looking to outstay her competition again on Saturday with Hayden Tinsley aboard from barrier 11. Bred to stay all day being by dual German Group 1 Grosser Preis Von Baden (2400m) winner Tiger Hill from a Sadler's Wells mare, Posavina will again meet Keep the Peace and Miss Sharapova who finished strongly to fill the minor placings in the Lowland.

Not to be forgotten Dean, Donna Logan and Chris Gibbs' charge Jungle Juice (Jungle Pocket x Shadow Ray, by Groom Dancer) placed third in the Group 2 Waikato Guineas (2000m) with a strong finish before a mid-field finish in the NZ Derby last start. Rosie Myers is aboard the filly who will be ridden cold from barrier 16 based on previous outings.

The same training partnership saddle Nike Princess (Golan x Winged Victory, by Victory Dance) who won twice over 2100m and is a filly capable of putting herself in the race but she will be made to work hard if she is to sit handy on Saturday from the outermost barrier 18.

La Marina (Golan x In the Vain, by Vain) is another talented Golan filly and she has won on two occasions for trainer Janelle Millar. She has drawn wide as has Danica Guy's dual winner Poppy Rose (Thorn Park x Ngaio, by Nassipour) with both fillies yet to win past 2000m.

Graham Richardson's Shamarose (Shamardal x Rose Beat, by Rhythm), Lisa Latta's Platinum Princess (Keeper x Merle Park, by Machiavellian), Guy Lowry and Grant Cullen's Southern Heights (Align x Alpine Beauty, by Khozaam), Mark Walker's Miraflores (Johar x Marie Claire, by O'Reilly), and John Sargent's The Goddaughter (Don Eduardo x Better Believe, by Success Express) are all lightly tried, consistent types who have won and are looking for their first black type result in the Group 1 feature.

The $300,000 Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks (2400m) is set to jump at 4.22pm on Saturday at Trentham Gardens.