NZ Oaks to Decide 2012 Filly of the Year

The 2012 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series has come down to the wire, with the prestigious $300,000 Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks (2400m) set to determine which three-year-old filly will take the coveted crown.

The Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on Saturday is the final race in the 10-race Series and no doubt one of the toughest as each filly's stamina is tested to the limit over the 2400 metre trip. The nine races to date - each carrying black type - have been building up to this final event, starting with the 1200m Gold Trail Stakes in September and incorporating the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas (1600m). With some serious battles witnessed, many of the country's best fillies have competed for over $1.2 million in stakes over the course of the Series.

The last few weeks have seen a number of fillies put themselves right into Oaks calculations with eye-catching performances in the lead up races. Most notably, Saturday's Group 1 feature will see three fillies - Planet Rock, Capital Diamond and Zurella - all race for the Series crown.

Leading the Series on 26 points is Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock x Akris), the winner of the penultimate leg of the Series, the Group 3 Lowland Stakes on 3 March. A wet track there ensured that the 2100 metre contest was a tough staying affair and the performance from Planet Rock showed that she is well placed to run out the 2400 metre Oaks trip.

Planet Rock was also the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas and Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic winner this Series putting her 11 points clear of her nearest rival Capital Diamond on 15 points. With 12 points to Saturday's winner, Capital Diamond will need to win the race and have Planet Rock finish out of the placings in order to snatch the Filly Series title.

Current NZB Filly of the Year Series leader Planet Rock

The Peter & Dawn Williams trained Planet Rock will be racing to become just the third filly since 2000 to win the New Zealand Oaks and Filly of the Year crown. The last to accomplish the feat was Princess Coup in 2007.

Planet Rock has drawn well in barrier three with jockey Damian Browne to ride.

The most consistent filly in the Series this year, the Lisa Latta trained Capital Diamond (Lucky Unicorn x Diamond Smile) has placed in all five legs of the Series she has contested and ran on well behind rival Planet Rock in the Lowland Stakes at her last start.

The daughter of Lucky Unicorn has performed on all footing over a range of distances and has drawn the ace barrier with jockey Jonathan Riddell to ride.

Lisa Latta will also saddle Lady Platinum (Savabeel x Two Time Tart) who has had two starts over 2100 metres for a win and a last start fourth in the Manawatu on 1 March. She will jump from barrier 14.

Trainer Shaune Ritchie has two runners in the race, Zurella (Zabeel x Doneze Girl) and Artistic (Darci Brahma x Artless), who are both raced by Dick Karreman's The Oaks Stud.

A winner of four of her seven career starts, Zurella ran a good fifth in the Group 1 New Zealand Derby at her last outing despite the wet footing not being to her liking. A winner of two legs of the Series - the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes and Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies Classic - she holds third place and she has a chance to share the Series honours should she win the Oaks and Planet Rock fails to run a place. She will jump from barrier nine with Jason Waddell aboard.

The Listed Sunline Vase saw a great ride from Michael Coleman who elected to take a rails run on Artistic and it paid dividends as she won her second race at black-type level. The win has brought her right into Oaks contention and she will get every chance from barrier two partnering with Coleman once again.

Princess Coup was the last filly to win the Oaks and the Filly of the Year Series in 2007

NZ champion sire Zabeel will be represented by two runners, Zurella and the John & Karen Parsons trained Asavant (ex Pins 'N' Needles), who broke her maiden over 2000 metres at her last start at Riccarton after showing plenty of ability over shorter distances. The 2400 metre trip looks right up Asavant's alley but she has a tough draw of 18 to contend with. She has Noel Harris to ride.

The Michael Moroney & Andrew Clarkentrained Chicharita (Towkay xTrisynd) contested the New Zealand Derby and put in a game finish to claim fourth place. She also won the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes two starts ago beating Planet Rock. Like Zurella, she is tested at the trip and looks well placed in the field from her wider barrier of 12.

The Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) saw Quintessential (Fast 'N' Famous x Florette) fly home to deny Capital Diamond her first win in the Series. She has placed in her last two runs for trainer John Sargent, behind Zurella in the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic and Planet Rock in the Lowland Stakes. The Oaks will be her first trip beyond 2100 metres and she has drawn wide in 17 with Lisa Allpress to ride.

Trainers Graeme & Debbie Rogerson will have two runners in the race with Joy's Choice (Redoute's Choice x Tricia Ann) and Savasong (Savabeel x Songfest).

Running a fighting second in the Sunline Vase at her last start, the blue-blooded filly Joy's Choice lapped up the 2100 metre trip and was third in the Sir Tristram Fillies Classic two starts ago. She will be ridden by Leith Innes from barrier six.

Savasong comes into the Oaks after running fourth in the Lowland Stakes and will be looking to give her sire Savabeel his third winner at Group 1 level. She has drawn well in barrier five with Rory Hutchings to ride.

The Roger James trained Splitsecond (Pins x Lowland) and Poste Restante (Postponed x Little Tee) from Howie Mathews' yard both come into the Oaks after running third at their last starts.

Midnight Oil wins the 2011 New Zealand Oaks

Splitsecond will be ridden by in-form jockey James McDonald and will be out to give Roger James the Derby/Oaks double after running the closest of thirds in the Listed Sunline Vase. Poste Restante has proven a very consistent filly this season and ran a good third against the older horses in the St Leger Trial in late February. The pair have drawn barriers seven and 16 respectively.

The lightly raced Jeff McVean & Emma-Lee Browne trained Tilda (Ustinov x Alastique) also comes into the Oaks off the back of a good performance where she ran third against the older mares over 2100 metres at Te Rapa late last month. She didn't get all favours in the Avondale Guineas two starts back behind Silent Achiever (O'Reilly) but has drawn well in barrier eight with jockey Rosie Myers to ride.

Melody Celebre (Castledale x Right on Time) comes into the 2400 metre contest after being unplaced over 1200 metres in early February for her trainer Louise Saunders. The lightly raced Jungle Pago (Darci Brahma x Climb the Vine) was also unplaced at her last start over 2100 metres but has drawn well in barrier four for trainer Fraser Auret.

The Gary Vile trained Myminkcoat (Coats Choice x Gillygate) stepped up from a mile to 2200 metres at her last start running a close second at Otaki, and Manhattan Mam (Dehere x New York) produced a solid finish at her last start over 2100 metres at Ellerslie for trainer Richard Collet. The pair will be making their black-type debuts in the Oaks.

The winner of the $300,000 Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks (2400m) will receive 12 points in New Zealand Bloodstock's Filly of the Year Series, with second place earning 7 points and third 3.5 points.

To view the current points table for the Filly of the Year Series, click here. The Group 1 New Zealand Oaks will be held at Trentham at 4.26pm (NZ time). To view the field, click here.