Oaks a Fitting Finale for Dominant NZB Filly of the Year

Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn) was an unstoppable force during the 2024-25 NZB Filly of the Year Series, winning all of the five races she contested including a fitting finale in Saturday’s $1m Group One Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham.

Having previously won the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m), Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) and Group Two Lowland Stakes (2100m), Leica Lucy finishes with 40 points.

She is only the third filly to score that highly in the NZB Filly of the Year Series in the last two decades, following on from Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) with 44.5 points in 2019-20 and Justa Tad (NZ) (Istidaad) with 42 in 2004-05. In the last four seasons, the winning scores have been 28, 25, 31 and 34 points.

Saturday’s Oaks brought the curtain down in more ways than one. It was the 11th and final leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series, but also the last New Zealand start for Leica Lucy. The star filly’s owner-breeders Peter and Heather Croskey sold a share of the ownership to the Australian-based Ozzie Kheir earlier this year, and Leica Lucy will do her future racing from Chris Waller’s stable.

The Robbie Patterson-trained Leica Lucy lined up as a $1.30 favourite for the Oaks on Saturday, but a career-best performance by Dubai Gold (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai) meant that this was not a simple victory lap.

Leica Lucy and jockey Craig Grylls enjoyed a handy run in fifth along the rail, but in the few crucial moments that it took them to find clear air early in the run home, Dubai Gold made her big move.

The last-start Lowland Stakes placegetter bounded to the lead and had all the momentum, while Leica Lucy took time to move through her gears and build up steam. But then Leica Lucy got down to business, drawing up alongside Dubai Gold and outfinishing her through a hard-fought final 50 metres to win by a long neck.

“It’s very special for it all to come off and get the job done today,” Grylls said. “She had to work a lot harder for it today, but it just shows her sheer determination and grit.

“I had to use her a bit more than I would have liked to from the barrier, but I’m glad I did, because it got very tight going into the first turn. I ended up in a good spot. I was just so lucky with the run I got at the 400 metres.

“Dubai Gold was in for the fight in the straight and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy to get past her, but she’s just such a tough filly.

“She can get a bit worked up in the parade ring, but then she just switches off when you take her down to the start. When you want her to go, she’s got the turn of foot. She’s an outstanding filly.”

Leica Lucy has had seven starts for six wins, a second and $1.014m in stakes. As the winner of the NZB Filly of the Year Series, she has earned her connections $50,000 in bonus cheques including $10,000 for her breeder, $10,000 for her trainer and $30,000 for her owner.

“This is my biggest win by a mile, to tell you the truth,” Patterson said. “The Oaks is a great race, the owners Peter and Heather are close friends of mine, and my parents are here today as well, so it’s very special.

“I’ve been saying this filly is the best I’ve trained, and she’s totally that. She’s just a beautiful animal. I’ve trained a lot of horses and seen a lot of horses, but she is one out of the box.

“I was a bit nervous in the straight today, but she’s just such a good horse. She’s had a big season, and she was in the worst part of the track, but she got the job done.”

Leica Lucy ended up winning the NZB Filly of the Year Series by a whopping 19 points. Early leader Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) held on for second with 21 points, while Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) came in third with 15 points.