Quality and Quantity as NZB Filly Series Makes Twilight Debut
29 February 2016
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Sofia Rosa heading the field for the Lowland Stakes |
New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series will break new ground this week with the running of the eighth leg, the Group 3 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes at Hastings at 6.36pm on Wednesday.
It will be the first time that a Filly of the Year Series race has been contested during a midweek twilight meeting. The Lowland Stakes, formerly run on a Saturday, has been moved to avoid clashing with BMW Derby Day at Ellerslie.
The move has been enthusiastically welcomed. It frees up the country’s leading jockeys and trainers to be on hand as some of the top three-year-old fillies build towards the Group 1 Wellfield New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 19. As a result, a bumper field of 18 fillies has entered for this year’s race.
Heading the field for the $70,000 Lowland Stakes is Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi), a $65,000 graduate of the 2014 Select Sale at Karaka. She currently sits in fourth place on the Filly of the Year Series leaderboard with eight points. She was a breath-taking last-start winner of the Group 2 Royal Stakes at Ellerslie, regaining her footing and momentum after being knocked sideways and almost falling at the home turn.
The field also includes Group 1 NZB 1000 Guineas runner-up Strada Cavallo (NZ) (Alamosa) and last-start Listed Oaks Prelude winner Sewreel (NZ) (Savabeel).
The winner of the $70,000 Group 3 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes will earn 6 Series points, with second place earning 3 points and third 1.5 points.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Strada Cavallo | 3 | Group 1 placed in the NZB 1000 Guineas in November, Strada Cavallo (NZ) (Alamosa) is currently third in the NZB Filly of the Year Series with 8.5 points. The daughter of Alamosa was third in the Group 3Desert Gold Stakes last start. | Graham Richardson | Chris Johnson |
| 2 | Sewreel | 4 | A daughter of New Zealand's top sire Savabeel (NZ), Sewreel (NZ) has won three of her last five starts including the Listed Oaks Prelude at New Plymouth. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Opie Bosson |
| 3 | Sofia Rosa | 7 | Sofia Rosa (NZ) (Makfi) is in fourth equal place in the NZB Filly of the Year Series with 8 points. She was a stunning last-start winner of the Group 2 Royal Stakes and is one of the favourites for the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks. | Stephen Marsh | Danielle Johnson |
| 4 | All In Vogue | 5 | A last-start stakes placegetter in the Listed Oaks Prelude, All In Vogue (NZ) (Pins) is contesting a NZB Filly of the Year Series race for the first time. Trainer Kevin Gray won the Filly of the Year Series with Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) in 2008-09. | Kevin Gray | Robert Hannam |
| 5 | Goodsav | 8 | Trained locally at Hastings, Goodsav (NZ) (Savabeel) impressively won her first two starts and was within three lengths of the winner when eighth in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. | Patrick Campbell | Michael McNab |
| 6 | Chic | 12 | Another locally trained daughter of Savabeel, Chic (NZ) has won twice and was unlucky when 12th in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. | Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen | Jonathan Riddell |
| 7 | Cool Tart | 17 | A winner of two races, Cool Tart (NZ) (Zabeel) hasn't been far away in NZB Filly of the Year Series races so far. She was fifth in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes, seventh in the Group 2 Royal Stakes and ninth in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic. | Roger James | |
| 8 | Black Sav | 13 | A highly rated daughter of Savabeel, Black Sav (NZ) was a fast-finishing sixth in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. Trainer Lisa Latta won this race last year with NZB Filly of the Year Platinum Witness. | Lisa Latta | Johnathon Parkes |
| 9 | Sacred Siren | 15 | One of the least experienced runners in the field, Sacred Siren (NZ) (O'Reilly) has had three starts for a win, a second and a fourth. Her win came at her most recent appearance. | Tony Pike | Leith Innes |
| 10 | Hot In High Heels | 18 | Another lightly raced filly, Hot In High Heels (High Chaparral) impressed in her first two starts before finishing 14th in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. | Phillip Stevens | Cameron Lammas |
| 11 | Magic Wonder | 16 | A daughter of the ill-fated stallion Eighth Wonder, Magic Wonder (NZ) has had a win and a placing from her four starts. | Paul Belsham | Alysha Collett |
| 12 | Queensland | 12 | From the oldest crop of Melbourne Cup winner Shocking, Queensland (NZ) has recorded a win and a placing from four starts and was a close sixth in the Listed Oaks Prelude last time out. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matt Cameron |
| 13 | Alcaldesa | 1 | Alcaldesa (NZ) (Nom du Jeu) has struggled to find her best form in recent starts, but she won the Listed Wanganui Guineas against male horses in September. | Tony Bambry | Craig Grylis |
| 14 | Fanatic | 2 | Another daughter of Shocking, Fanatic (NZ) has had a win and two placings from 10 starts. In her last start she finished seventh in the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic. | Graeme Sanders & Debbie Sweeney | Rosie Myers |
| 15 | Tessastock | 6 | Tessastock (NZ) (Tavistock) is still a maiden, but is rated highly and has been placed in three of her five starts. | Graham Richardson | Mark Du Plessis |
| 16 | Touting | 9 | A daughter of top sire Savabeel, Touting (NZ) is yet to win in her four-start career but has finished second in all of her last three appearances. | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | Michael Coleman |
| 17 | Amazing Lady | 10 | A stablemate of Cool Tart, Amazing Lady (NZ) (O'Reilly) has had three starts for a third, a fourth and a fifth. | Roger James | Darryl Bradley |
| 18 | Firebird Flyer | 14 | A lightly raced daughter of Stravinsky, Firebird Flyer (NZ) will be chasing her first win. | Jeff Lynds |