NZB Filly of the Year Series Standouts Set to Shine at Ellerslie
24 December 2025
The top two fillies on the NZB Filly of the Year Series leaderboard will both be among the many stars stepping out at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, but they will be in different races.
The 10-race card features the sixth leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series, the Group Two Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m). The quality line-up for that $270,000 feature is headed by Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca), who sits in second place on the table with 16 points.
She is 4 points behind the benchmark filly Well Written (Written Tycoon), who is unbeaten in three starts and earned 20 points with her runaway victories in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). However, those are likely to be her only two appearances in the NZB Filly of the Year Series. Well Written’s Boxing Day assignment is the Group Two Jimmy Schick Shaw’s Auckland Guineas (1400m), which is a stepping stone towards the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) and the $4m NZB Kiwi (1500m).
Well Written’s absence could leave an opening for Lollapalooza to reclaim the NZB Filly of the Year Series lead, which she previously held after winning the series-opening Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) back in September. She has gone on to compete in three of the four legs since then, finishing second in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m), fifth in the Soliloquy Stakes and second in the 1000 Guineas.
Or perhaps the Eight Carat Classic could be a breakout moment for a new star of the three-year-old filly crop. Circus Dancer (NZ) (Circus Maximus) and Pulsatilla (NZ) (Redwood) both come into the race as last-start Listed winners of the O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1340m) and Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) respectively, Savvy Donna (NZ) (Savabeel) was an eye-catching fourth in the Soliloquy Stakes two starts back, and many others in the field have been highly impressive recent winners in lower grades.
The winner of the Eight Carat Classic will earn 8 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series, with 4 for second and 2 for third.
The Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic will be run as Race 7 on an exceptional Boxing Day card at Ellerslie on Friday, with a scheduled start time of 4.18pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lollapalooza | 10 | A top-two finish in this race will put Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) back on top of the NZB Filly of the Year Series table. She currently sits in second place with 16 points, with Well Written (Written Tycoon) leading the way with 20. Lollapalooza has contested four of the five legs in the NZB Filly of the Year Series so far. She won the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), then finished second in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m), fifth in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and second in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). Lollapalooza was bought for $30,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2024 and has earned $248,625. | Karaka 2024, Book 2 | Richardson Racing Stables/Social Racing, $30,000 |
| 2 | Circus Dancer | 1 | Circus Dancer (NZ) (Circus Maximus) has got her career off to a perfect two-from-two start. She won by two and a quarter lengths on debut at New Plymouth on October 24, then stepped up in class and impressively upstaged some higher-rated opposition in the Listed O'Learys Fillies' Stakes (1340m) at Wanganui on November 29. | ||
| 3 | Pulsatilla | 11 | There have been some ups and downs in the four-start career of Pulsatilla (NZ) (Redwood), but there can be no doubting the talent. She finished fifth on debut at Ellerslie on September 20, then won a maiden at Avondale on October 8. After returning to Ellerslie and finishing at the tail of the field on November 4, it was third time lucky at the Auckland track as she produced an explosive turn of foot to score a last-start victory in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) on November 29. | ||
| 4 | Tellum | 6 | Passed in at Karaka 2024 with a $50,000 reserve, Tellum (NZ) (Ocean Park) burst on to the three-year-old scene with back-to-back wins at Te Aroha in October and November - the most recent of them by three and a half lengths. She was unplaced in the Listed O'Learys Fillies' Stakes (1340m) in her only start since then, but crossed the line only 3.4 lengths behind the winner. | Karaka 2024, Book 1 | Psd, Res $50,000 |
| 5 | Oratia Beauty | 8 | Too Darn Hot filly Oratia Beauty has had six starts for a win and three placings. She was a maiden winner at Taupo in September, beating the subsequent Group Two Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) winner Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin). She then placed at Ellerslie behind top three-year-old colt Affirmative Action (Yes Yes Yes) before a last-start second in the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m). | ||
| 6 | Circus Trix | 9 | Circus Trix (NZ) (Circus Maximus) races in the green and white colours of her owner-breeder John Wood, who also has Circus Dancer (NZ) (Circus Maximus) in this field. Circus Trix was an impressive maiden winner at Pukekohe two starts back, then finished a close fourth in the Listed O'Learys Fillies' Stakes (1340m). | ||
| 7 | Dance The Night | 2 | The beautifully bred Dance The Night (NZ) is by in-form stallion Almanzor out of the Group One winner Stolen Dance (NZ) (Alamosa). Seventh on debut in September, Dance The Night has improved sharply since then to record a second and a strong maiden victory in her two subsequent appearances. | ||
| 8 | Fairy Dream | 7 | Fairy Dream (NZ) (Proisir) was a $360,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2024. She produced an impressive finish to win on debut at Cambridge in September. In her only other appearance, she didn't have all favours after a slow start and finished outside the placings in the Listed O'Learys Fillies' Stakes (1340m). | Karaka 2024, Book 1 | RA James/R Wellwood, $360,000 |
| 9 | Fleeting Star | 4 | Richardson Racing will send out two runners in this Eight Carat Classic line-up, both bought for less than $100,000 from Karaka 2024. Likely favourite Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) was a mere $30,000 purchase, while her promising stablemate Fleeting Star (Cool Aza Beel) cost $80,000. Fleeting Star placed in all of her first four starts, including behind subsequent Group winner That's Gold (Lucky Vega), then broke through for a stylish maiden win at Ellerslie on December 11. | Karaka 2024, Book 1 | Richardson Racing Stables, $80,000 |
| 10 | Stella Ma Bella | 5 | Stella Ma Bella (Contributer) is a full-sister to Campionessa (NZ) (Contributer), whose biggest win came at this Boxing Day meeting when she won the Group One Zabeel Classic (2000m) in 2023. Stella Ma Bella has had only two starts, following up a third placing on debut with a dominant maiden victory by three and a half lengths at Te Aroha on December 7. | ||
| 11 | Savvy Donna | 3 | Savvy Donna (NZ) (Savabeel) is still a maiden but has shown plenty of ability in her four-start career. She placed in both of her first two appearances, then caught the eye with a strong-finishing fourth in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). She was unplaced in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in her only other start. |