Southern Filly Of The Year Series

After a gap of several months the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly Of The Year Series continues this weekend at Canterbury Jockey Club with the running of the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes.

The race has drawn a full field of talented South Island fillies including current series leader Senorita Dane (Senor Pete x Snadame). The Paul Harris-trained filly has just returned from a successful trip north where she was victorious in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes at Trentham.

This weekend's race will offer an opportunity to pick up her third listed win on the mainland. Her first stakes win came in the first leg of this season's Southern Filly Series, in the CJC New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes last September. Also lining up, from the same stable, will be Lady Matilda (Kingdom Bay x Petite Zillah), who ran fourth in the first leg of the series.

Despite standing second on the points table Southland-based filly Innate (Towkay x She's A Gun) will only make the weekend's race if a scratching occurs. Although the Tony Barron-trained filly has had four placings from only ten starts she has yet to win a race. The fact that a stakes placed filly is an emergency is a testament to the quality field.

The Redoute's Choice sired filly, Iguazu's Girl (Redoute's Choice x Iguazu), comes into this race with a convincing two wins from two starts this campaign. Trained at Riccarton Park by the successful training partnership of Peter and Dawn Williams, she will be joined by her Listed race winning stable-mate Royal Miss (Volksraad x Bashful Lady). Prior to her fifth behind the likes of Senorita Dane and Sista in the Desert Gold Stakes, Royal Miss won the Listed Law Courts Dunedin Guineas over 1600m.

The current rankings for the series have Senorita Dane in first place with 7 points, Innate with 3 points in second and Blooming in third, sitting on 1 point.

The fillies' next opportunity in the Southern Filly of the Year Series is only a week away. Sunday 10th April will see the New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight Stakes run at the Otago Racing Club meeting in Wingatui.