Planet Rock Extends Her Lead

Planet Rock has extended her lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with a brave front-running performance to win the $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie yesterday.

The win came as a perfect start for her trainers Peter and Dawn Williams who have just relocated from Christchurch to their Karaka base. Ridden by jockey Hayden Tinsley in the Group 2, Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock x Akris) led from pillar to post in a bold display, taking the race by one-and-a-half lengths.

The winner of the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas in November, Planet Rock earned eight points from yesterday's victory, extending her lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series to 20 points.

The Karaka 2012 Premier Sale will see a half-brother to Planet Rock by Alamosa offered by Wellfield Lodge at Lot 37. While the Select Sale will include a sister to Shez Sinsational (Ekraar), the winner of the Group 1 Zabeel Classic, which will be offered by Highbury Park at Lot 947.

A Karaka graduate, Planet Rock was bred by Bill Gleeson and was purchased by Ger Beemsterboer from Wellfield Lodge at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2010 Karaka Premier Sale for $290,000.

Running second in the Group 2 was the honest performer Testa Secret (Testa Rossa x Acacian Secret) who has been a highly competitive filly in the Series for her trainer Kevin Gray. Also a Premier Sale graduate, the three-year-old provided NZB with the race quinella and takes home a valuable four points in the Filly of the Year Series, taking her to second place on 10 points.

The next leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes (2000m), will be held at Ellerslie on January 1 2012. To view the current points table for the Series, click here.

Catalogues for New Zealand Bloodstock's 2012 National Yearling Sales Series (30 January - 5 February) are now available and can be viewed online at www.nzb.co.nz.