Rising Up to Third in Fillies Series

The fillies stepped up to 2000m for the first time in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series and it was Rising Romance (NZ) (Ekraar) that was successful in the Group 2 $100,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes (2000m) yesterday at Ellerslie.

Rising Romance (NZ) successful in the Group 2 New Zealand Bloodstock Royal Stakes yesterday at Ellerslie.

The Donna and Dean Logan trained runner finished third in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic on Boxing Day at Ellerslie where she earned 2 points in the Filly of the Year Series.

Jockey Michael Coleman positioned the filly by Ekraar in fourth place behind a moderate pace early in the race. At the top of the straight the pair were in a good position to challenge for the lead and raced away from the field halfway down the straight. Race-favourite Lucia Valentina (NZ) (Savabeel) charged home late but was unable to reach Rising Romance who won by 1.5 lengths at the finish.

“We were very confident after her run the other day, she made up a lot of ground and she has always shown that she will stay so we were very confident,” stated Donna Logan.

“I was going to take on the boys yesterday because that was a softer field but the draw was against us there so we took on the fillies. I think the fillies are stronger than the boys again this year so winning the fillies’ race indicates to me that she justifies going on towards the Derby.

“We haven’t really sat down and made decisions but the three-year-old staying races look the obvious way. We have to discuss with the owners where they want to go, they are breeders so they may want to go down the Filly of the Year Series races otherwise I would be directing towards the Derby as it is worth more.”

Yesterday’s win was the third from six starts for Rising Romance and second victory at stakes level having won the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial in November. The three-year-old filly has earned $104,575 in prizemoney for her owners B H & N J Carter & M R Powell.

Bred by Carter Bloodstock Ltd, Rising Romance is by Ekraar, the sire of Group 1 winning fillies Shez Sinsational (NZ), Ekstreme (NZ) and Habibi (NZ), the latter also trained by the Logan partnership. Rising Romance is the second winner out of Post Romance (Postponed), a daughter of the stakes placed Sir Tristram mare Pretty Wicked.

The stable of Donna & Dean Logan also enjoyed another Group 2 success on the day Mosquito (NZ) (Golan) winning the Group 2 City of Auckland Cup.

Rising Romance earned 8 points in the Filly of the Year Series yesterday and now has 10 points in the Series placing her third overall. Lucia Valentina collected 4 points for her second placing and Royal Dominance (NZ) (Shinko King) picked up 2 points for finishing third.

Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) remains at the top of the Filly of the Year Series Leaderboard with 19 points ahead of yesterday’s Group 1 Railway Handicap winner Bounding (Lonhro) on 13 points.

The next race in the Series is the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Wellington on 25 January with four legs left in the Series that culminates in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks on 15 March.