Ombre Rose Hunts Southern Filly Title

Smitten Kitten's (Volksraad x Vanderbilt) absence�from Saturday's $30,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton leaves the way open for Ombre Rose (O'Reilly x Lady Chanele) to steal the lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series.

A win on Saturday by Ombre Rose�would see her clinch the Series, with seven points currently on the�board and another seven up for grabs by Saturday's winner.

2005-6 Southern Filly of the Year Current Points Table

Hunting her third Listed victory,�Ombre Rose�has won five of her six starts for trainer, Shane Marr, and owners Reon Murtha, Sheldon Murtha and Michelle House. Brian Hibberd, winner of 32 races this season, has retained the ride.

Riccarton based Marr has one other runner in the race with recent maiden winner, Envy Me (Kashani x Gucci). Her maiden win came at Riccarton two weeks ago. A very close second on that occasion was Keltic (Kaapstad x Tivoli Hero), who will also contest the $30,000 purse on Saturday for the Kennedy/Carston stable.

Third placegetter in the New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight Stakes last start, Condor (Desert Fox x Anzam Dam), with a change of jockey in Jamie Bullard, will look to close the three length gap�that was between her and Ombre Rose that time. Bullard currently sits in fifth place on the jockey's premiership.

Condor was transferred to the South Island's leading trainers, Peter and Dawn Williams at Riccarton, from the McKee stable in March. Trevor McKee purchased Condor at the 2004 Karaka Festival Yearling Sale for NZ$3,500 from Westbury Stud.

Bolivar Belle (Thunder Gulch x Christiania Belle), trained by Jan Hay at Ashburton, will be hoping for a run similar to her younger sister, Nordea Belle's (Black Minnaloushe x Christiania Belle), recent winning trial performances. Bred and owned by Pencarrow Stud's Peter and Philip Vela, she has been placed twice from her last three starts. Hay reports that the distance and track conditions should work to her favour. Successful South Island jockey, Chris Johnson, will partner Bolivar Belle for the first time on race day.

A new entrant in the Southern Filly Series competition will be the daughter of Canadian black type winner, Regal Halo, in Zilzie (Generous x Regal Halo). Breaking the maiden ranks recently at Te Aroha, Zilzie is making the trip south from her trainer Ross Elliot's Cambridge stable. Saturday's race will be her third race day start.

Paul Belsham's Many Danske (Danske x Selene Star) and the Moroney trained Lady Atire (Pentire x Lady Acumen) are the other northern raiders in the race. Lady Atire was a NZ$90,000 purchase by Paul Moroney at the 2004 Karaka Select Yearling Sale from Rich Hill Stud.

The fifteen-horse field is also made up of Crazy Frogg (Istidaad x Nevak), Mary Chicquita (I Conquer x Regal Chicquita), Mystify (Montjeu x Seamist), Nobel (Prized x Dot's Honor), Northern Nigh (Montjeu x On Air) and Southern Odyssey (Carnegie x Northern Odyssey).

Canterbury JC Riccarton Park
NEW ZEALAND BLOODSTOCK WARSTEP STAKES 3:35pm

The Series winner will join the likes�2002-03 winner, Tonic (Blues Traveller x Sent To War), 2003-04 winner, Classic Clare (Gold Brose x Funny Features), and 2004-05 winner, Royal Miss (Volksraad x Bashful Lady), on the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year honours roll.

Don't forget Sunday's National Weanling Sale from 10am at Karaka. Catalogue can be viewed online at http://www.nzb.co.nz/.