NZB Filly of the Year Series Lead on the Line in Sunline Vase
3 March 2022
The New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series has a new leader for the first time since December, but Saturday’s $90,000 Group Three McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie gives the former front-runner an immediate right of reply.
The Lowland Stakes was the ninth leg of an 11-race series, and an impressive win by Self Obsession (NZ) (Shocking) propelled her into the lead with 24 points. She leapfrogged her stablemate, long-time leader Belle En Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy), who now sits in second place with 19.
But Belle En Rouge has the chance to strike back in Saturday’s 10th leg, which is worth a potentially decisive 6 points to the winner. The runner-up will receive 3 points, with 1.5 for third.
Belle En Rouge is already a two-time winner during this season’s New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, going back-to-back in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) in December. She also placed in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), but was tripped up by a wet track when sixth behind Self Obsession in last month’s Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m).
The others in Saturday’s Sunline Vase field with points to their name are Achieve (NZ) (Pierro), Glory Bound (NZ) (Tavistock) and Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh), whose placings in earlier legs have earned them totals of 5, 4 and 3 points respectively. With 12 points available to the winner of the Group One Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) later this month, any of them could still lodge a late challenge at the top end of the points table.
Miss Ella (NZ) (Iffraaj) is another interesting runner in Saturday’s field, winning a maiden race by almost 10 lengths earlier this season and scoring a last-start success in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1600m), while Outfit (NZ) (Tivaci) was a fast-finishing second placegetter in that race.
The McKee Family Sunline Vase will be run as Race 6 on a star-studded card at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a start time of 3.19pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER | TRAINER | JOCKEY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Belle En Rouge | 4 | Impressive back-to-back victories in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) propelled Belle En Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy) into the lead in the NZB Filly of the Year Series with 19 points. But her momentum was dented by a last-start sixth behind stablemate Self Obsession (NZ) (Shocking) in the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa, and she has now dropped to second on the table. This is her chance to get back on track and cement her place as a title contender. | Jamie Richards | Joe Kamaruddin | ||
| 2 | Glory Bound | 9 | A talented homebred for Valachi Downs principal Kevin Hickman, Glory Bound (NZ) (Tavistock) has had six starts to date for a win, three placings, a fourth and a fifth. She made her NZB Filly of the Year Series debut in last month's Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m), finishing a close second behind series leader Self Obsession (NZ) (Shocking). Only a head separated the pair at the finish line, with three and a half lengths back to third. | Stephen Autridge & Kris Shailer | Sam Weatherley | ||
| 3 | Miss Ella | 11 | Miss Ella (NZ) (Iffraaj) was one of the most impressive maiden winners of the whole season, scoring by a jaw-dropping nine and three-quarter lengths at Rotorua on December 28. She then stepped up to the big time with a close sixth in the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), followed by a smart win in last Wednesday's Listed Oaks Prelude (1600m) at Pukekohe. | Karaka 2020, Book 1 | Go Racing, $240,000 | Stephen Marsh | Michael McNab |
| 4 | Achieve | 3 | Well-related filly Achieve (NZ) (Pierro) comes from the family of countless Group One performers over the last few decades, including this season's stars The Chosen One (NZ) (Savabeel) and The Perfect Pink (NZ) (Savabeel). Achieve has recorded a win and two placings from her five-start career to date, earning 5 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series through her placings in the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m) and Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m). | Karaka 2020, Book 1 | RA James/R Wellwood, $375,000 | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | Ryan Elliot |
| 5 | Mustang Valley | 7 | Although she has yet to win a race this season, Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh) has been one of the most consistent performers of the NZB Filly of the Year Series. She finished second in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), fifth in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), fifth in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), sixth in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m), fifth in the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m) and fourth in the David and Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m). | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Vinnie Colgan | ||
| 6 | Le Villi | 12 | Taranaki visitor Le Villi (NZ) (Puccini) is an exciting talent, with two wins and a placing from just three starts in her career to date. She scored an eye-catching come-from-behind victory over 1600 metres at Te Rapa on February 12. | 2019 May Sale | Phill Cataldo Bloodstock, $10,000 | John Wheeler | Lisa Allpress |
| 7 | Outfit | 6 | By Tivaci out of the Group One-winning mare Costume (NZ) (Savabeel), the talented filly Outfit (NZ) was an easy maiden winner at Te Rapa in December before having no luck in the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m) on New Year's Day. Her only start since then came in last week's Listed Oaks Prelude (1600m), where she charged home for second. | Jamie Richards | Johnathan Parkes | ||
| 8 | Bellatrix Black | 5 | This is the first black-type test for Bellatrix Black (NZ) (Redwood), who debuted with a fourth placing in December and has subsequently finished second, second and first. The win was by two and a quarter lengths over 1600 metres at Tauranga on February 16. | Catherine Cameron | Taiki Yanagida | ||
| 9 | Cruisy Lass | 1 | Cruisy Lass (NZ) (Super Easy) was a last-start maiden winner at her home track of Ruakaka, having previously finished seventh after a wide run in the Group Two Waikato Guineas (2000m). | Chris Gibbs | Lynsey Satherley | ||
| 10 | Invincibeel | 2 | Talented filly Invincibeel (NZ) (Savabeel) was a highly impressive maiden winner at Te Rapa in January and comes into this race on the back of a solid fourth in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1600m) at Pukekohe last week. | Karaka 2020, Book 1 | DC Ellis, $145,000 | Jamie Richards | Kozzi Asano |
| 11 | Bigiff | 10 | Bigiff (NZ) (Iffraaj) is already proven over this sort of distance, scoring a maiden victory over 2200 metres at Rotorua in December. She was a creditable fifth in the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa last start. | Graham Richardson & Rogan Norvall | Ashvin Goindasamy | ||
| 12 | Thatsallshewrote | 8 | A second placing may be the best result to date in a four-start career for Thatsallshewrote (NZ) (Wrote), but the Matamata filly made up good late ground for fifth in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1600m) at Pukekohe last Wednesday. | Karaka 2020, Book 3 | Paul Moroney Bloodstock/Ballymore Stables NZ, $24,000 | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Masa Hashizume |