NZB Filly of the Year Frontrunner Faces Group One Test
6 November 2026
Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor) has wasted little time in stamping herself as an early standout in the 2026-27 NZB Filly of the Year Series, and Saturday’s $600,000 Group One Barneswood Farm 54th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton gives her the chance to confirm that superiority.
One of only two Group One races in the 11-race series, the Guineas is worth 12 points to the winner, with 7 points for second and 3.5 for third.
Asturia heads the NZB Filly of the Year Series standings with 8 points, with the next three fillies on the table – Liguria (NZ) (Snitzel) with 7 points, and Hawea (Hellbent) and Pounce (NZ) (Almanzor) with 6 each – all absent from the 1000 Guineas line-up.
The other runners in the 1000 Guineas who already have points to their name are Silhouette (NZ) (Armory) with 3 points, Fiamma (NZ) (Pinatubo) with 2 points and Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express) with 1.5 points.
A smart maiden winner and unlucky Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) placegetter in her first two starts, Asturia joined the NZB Filly of the Year Series when she made her third career start in last month’s Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. She swept to a super-impressive win, moving straight to the top of the NZB Filly of the Year Series leaderboard as well as taking clear favouritism for the 1000 Guineas.
Significantly, seven of the last eight 1000 Guineas winners have come through the Soliloquy Stakes, including three who have won both races – Media Sensation (I Am Invincible) in 2018, Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in 2022 and Well Written (Written Tycoon) in 2025.
But, as usual, the field for the prestigious New Zealand 1000 Guineas has no shortage of credentials outside of the favourite. All but one of the 15 runners have been race winners, with maiden filly Grocer’s Girl (NZ) (Tarzino) being stakes-placed.
There are nine black-type placegetters in the line-up, including Sweetest Thing (NZ) (Hello Youmzain), who was runner-up in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) as a two-year-old last season.
The Barneswood Farm 54th New Zealand 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 10 at Riccarton on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 4.39pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asturia | 3 | The powerful Te Akau Racing stable has produced seven winners of the 1000 Guineas in the last 20 years, and Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor) has headed south with undeniable credentials to make it eight. She was bought by Sir David Ellis for $135,000 from Landsdowne Park's Book 1 draft at Karaka 2025, and she has already earned $176,125 from only a three-race career. She won impressively on debut in a $75,000 race at Ellerslie on September 5, then finished a close and unlucky second in the Group Two Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) in her second start. She made her NZB Filly of the Year Series debut in last month's Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and was a commanding winner, earning 8 points and going straight to the top of the table. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | DC Ellis, $135,000 |
| 2 | Dashing Dixie | 11 | The Wexford Stables team of Lance O'Sullivan and Andrew Scott joined forces with jockey Joe Doyle to win this race with Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) in 2023. The same trainer-jockey combination teams up again this year with Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express), who was a $340,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2025. She was a winner as a two-year-old last season, and she has run four strong races in black-type company this season - fifth in the Listed Chittick Family Fillies' Classic (1100m), fifth in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m), third in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and sixth in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). She has been finishing strongly on each of those occasions, which bodes well for the step up to 1600 metres. She has earned 1.5 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | Wexford Stables, $340,000 |
| 3 | Platinum La Danse | 6 | Both of the parents of Platinum La Danse (NZ) were black-type stars here at Riccarton. Her sire Noverre (NZ) won the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), while dam Platinum Command (NZ) (Red Giant) won 10 races including the Group Three Winter Cup (1600m). Platinum La Danse was a $45,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2025 and has had eight starts so far for a win, three placings and $57,240 in stakes. After a maiden victory in August, she has run fifth in the Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m), second in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m), fifth in the Group Two Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) and second in the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1400m). Both of those second placings came at Riccarton. | Karaka 2025, Book 2 | KT Dixon, $45,000 |
| 4 | Silhouette | 5 | Trainer Cody Cole has kept his options open with promising filly Silhouette (NZ) (Armory), who has also been entered for Saturday's $120,000 Group Three Windsor Park Stud Canterbury Breeders' Stakes (1400m) against older mares. Silhouette cost $120,000 as a yearling and has had a win and two placings from six starts so far. She ran third in the Group Three Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and second in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m) in her first two starts this season, then finished fourth in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and seventh in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | CW Cole Racing, $120,000 |
| 5 | So Fear | 12 | The blue and white colours of Go Racing were carried to 1000 Guineas success by Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) in 2017. This year their hopes rest with So Fear (NZ) (Ardrossan), who has already been a black-type performer at the ages of two and three. She won her first two starts last season before finishing third in the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m) in April. After a couple of lacklustre runs at the start of this season, she brilliantly returned to form with a four-length win at Hastings on October 10 and then a last-start third in the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1400m). | ||
| 6 | Sweetest Thing | 13 | Hello Youmzain filly Sweetest Thing (NZ) is already a proven Group One performer, having finished second behind Seize The Day (I Am Invincible) in the Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) in March. Sweetest Thing began her three-year-old campaign with victory in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at this track in September, then was badly hampered before recovering to cross the line in fourth place in the Group Three Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. Sweetest Thing was bought for $80,000 at Karaka 2025 and has earned $188,300. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | RJ Bergerson/Chris Rutten Bloodstock, $80,000 |
| 7 | Fiamma | 9 | Wexford Stables paid $150,000 to buy Fiamma (NZ) (Pinatubo) from Hallmark Stud's Book 1 draft at Karaka 2025. She has had just four starts to date, including an emphatic two-length maiden win at Taupo and a strong-finishing third in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). She has 2 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | Wexford Stables, $150,000 |
| 8 | Final Time | 7 | A daughter of John and Karen Parsons' triple Group One winner Final Touch (NZ) (Kashani), the talented Final Time (NZ) (Staphanos) has had eight starts for two wins and two placings. She picked up two black-type placings in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) and Champagne Stakes (1200m) in the autumn, and she was an impressive winner over 1400 metres at this course two starts ago. | ||
| 9 | Miss Magnetica | 1 | Miss Magnetica (NZ) (Contributer) finished fifth on debut in the autumn, then had no luck when ninth resuming at Te Rapa in August. She charged home from the back of the field to score an outstanding maiden win over 1200 metres at Ellerslie on September 5, then produced another eye-catching late run into fourth in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). She was a $100,000 purchase from the Ready to Run Sale at Karaka 12 months ago. | 2025 Ready to Run Sale | Phill Cataldo Bloodstock, $100,000 |
| 10 | On Piste | 15 | A first Group One runner for local trainer Meg Cunneen, On Piste (NZ) (Ace High) is one of the least experienced runners in this field. She has had only two previous starts, winning on debut at Timaru in late September before finding the line well for third in the Group Three Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. | ||
| 11 | Sheza Professional | 10 | The locally trained Sheza Professional (NZ) (Proisir) has made a good impression from a three-start career that has produced a win, a placing and a close last-start fourth in the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1400m). | ||
| 12 | Angels Halo | 2 | Cambridge trainer Hollie Elliot has two chances for the 1000 Guineas this year, with Miss Magnetica joined by the promising Angels Halo (NZ) (Proisir). An impressive maiden winner at Ruakaka in early September, Angels Halo has since stepped up to stakes level and finished fourth in the Group Two Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) and eighth in the Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m). | ||
| 13 | Francie Rules | 8 | The first of two runners in this year's Guineas field for respected Waverley trainer Bill Thurlow, Francie Rules (Wild Ruler) was a $60,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2025. She ran fourth in her only start as a two-year-old, and she has had two starts this time in for a second and a last-start maiden win. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | WJ Thurlow, $60,000 |
| 14 | Grocer's Girl | 4 | She may be the only maiden in this field, but Grocer's Girl (NZ) (Tarzino) has shown her quality with placings in four of her six starts including the Listed Champagne Stakes (1600m). She has strong form this spring against the likes of Guineas rival Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor) and leading New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) contender System Of Play (Ole Kirk). | ||
| 15 | Park In The Bar | 14 | The lowest-priced yearling in the 1000 Guineas field this year is Park In The Bar (NZ) (Ardrossan), who was bought by Grant Thurlow for just $8,000. The Bill Thurlow-trained filly was a debut winner at Woodville on October 7 and was a last-start fourth placegetter against older horses in Rating 65 company. | Karaka 2025, Book 2 | GD Thurlow, $8,000 |