Southern Fillies Set for Kick Off

On the same day the 2013/14 Filly of the Year Series gets underway in Hawkes Bay, further down country the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year is also set to kick off for the new season with the running of Saturday’s Listed $50,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes over 1200m for three-year-old fillies.

If I Can I Can (NZ) was victorious in the 2012/13 NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series.

This is the 13th year that the New Zealand Bloodstock sponsored event will take place, with the four-race Series commencing this weekend and culminating in March 2014 with the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes.

All four legs in the Series are run at Listed level and provide the opportunity for fillies to gain valuable black-type, adding residual value to their pedigrees.

Last year saw If I Can I Can take out the Series, adding her name to illustrious list that includes the likes of Besty Coup, Tonic and Ombre Rose.

The feature race on Saturday has attracted a strong field of 12 fillies to contest the race held at Riccarton Racecourse, set down as Race 7 to be run at 3.41pm.

With the race being an early season three-year-old fillies’ event, many of the acceptors are relatively inexperienced with five of the runners having only had one start, with three of them recording victories on debut.

A winner on the Riccarton track at her first start was the Neil Coulbeck trained No Surrenda (Keeper), beating race rivals Force Majeure, Sentimental and O’Loughlin in the New Zealand Bloodstock Spring Prelude Three-Year-Old over 1000m.

The unbeaten Orovela (Saperavi) has also only had one start for a victory over 1200m in July at Oamaru. She preceded her debut run with two winning efforts at the trials. The third unbeaten runner is Silhouette Noire (Dane Shadow), a winner at Ashburton on 30 August.

The highest rated horse in the race is the Les & Richard Didham trained Sparkling Mine (Gold Mine). A winner of two of her three starts, the daughter of Gold Mine was beaten less than two lengths in the Listed Welcome Stakes as a two-year-old last season.

Local trainers Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong have Sentimental (My Halo) engaged who was third behind No Surrenda on debut.

Another filly having her second start is Zhanim (Savabeel) trained by Steven Woodsford. The graduate of last year’s NZB Ready to Run Sale, is resuming from a spell after finishing third on debut in May at Timaru.

The two horses making up the field have both had two raceday appearances. The Nikki & Barrie Blatch trained Libetto (Librettist) was placed on debut and is resuming after last racing in March, while O’Loughlin (O’Reilly) debuted in June and is coming off a last start run when fourth behind No Surrenda.

The most experienced horse in the race is the Lenny Faber trained Force Majeure (Spartacus), having eight runs under her belt, recording a win and two placings.

Matamata trainer Jason Bridgman has entered one of the more experienced runners in Dreamer (More Than Ready). The Karaka graduate has had six starts and is yet to record a win but has been placed four times and was less than a length-and-a-half from the winner in the Group 3 Phoenix Park 2YO Classic at New Plymouth last season.

Two other North Island trained horses will be attempting to take the southern riches north. Lisa Latta has Keeperhot (Keeper) in the race, the winner of one race who finished fourth in last season’s Karaka Million Two-Year-Old feature behind Ruud Awakening. The other North Island raider is the Howie Mathews trained Hearsay (Postponed), twice a runner-up at her only two starts to-date.

The winner of the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes will receive seven points in New Zealand Bloodstock's Southern Filly of the Year Series, with second place earning three points and third place earning one point.

To view the full field for the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes, click here.

For more information on the Southern Filly of the Year Series and the race schedule, click here.