Southern Filly Series Lead Wide Open on Saturday

With none of the three fillies currently on NZB’s Southern Filly of the Year leader board contesting Saturday’s $50,000 Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui, all 13 fillies lining-up in the race have a shot at taking a share in the Series lead.

Emerald Queen (O’Reilly) won the first leg of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Southern Filly of the Year Series, the Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes in September last year, taking seven points and the early Series lead.

Race 2 of the four-race Series on Saturday will also offer seven points to the winner giving that filly a shared spot at the top of the leaderboard.

Saturday’s field is headed by Berenice (Holy Roman Emperor) who has placed in two of her last three starts, all at stakes level, with her last run resulting in a fourth placing in the Southland Guineas in mid-February.

The race will see Biddedo (Edenwold) and Pamina (Keeper) clash again as both fillies filled the placings behind Kostalot at Riccarton Park at their last starts after having a break from the track.

Pamina is one of two runners for trainers Kevin & Pam Hughes, the other being Champagne Katie (Darci Brahma) who ran fourth in the first leg of the Series after traveling wide throughout the race.

Trainer Sally McKay will saddle two runners with Saperavious (Saperavi), who with just three starts under her belt won her second outing with a flying finish over 1200 metres at Riverton in early February, and No Mean Feat (Perfectly Ready) who will step up to 1400 metres for the first time in her eight-start career.

Marlin Monroe (Coats Choice) broke maiden ranks at her last start at Ascot Park in a good performance after overcoming a tough trip, being posted four wide early in the race, as did Queens Habit (Bachelor Duke) who won at the same meeting at her third career start over the race distance of 1400 metres.

John & Karen Parsons will also saddle two runners in Saturday’s Listed race with Annabel Rose (Pins), who will have her first start at stakes level in her 10 start career, and Keynote (Pentire) who ran an unlucky second at her last start at Riccarton after being hampered during her run.

Marechal (General Nediym) is no stranger to stakes races having run fourth in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes last season at two behind Warhorse. Lucille (Remind) also has experience at stakes level and will have her third start in Listed company on Saturday after finishing fifth and sixth in the Gore Guineas and Canterbury Stakes this season.

South Island based young sire Saperavi will have two runners with his daughter Emily Trimbole completing the field. She contested the first leg of the Series in September and comes into the race with an unlucky fresh up run at the course early last month.

To view the race schedule and current points table for NZB’s Southern Filly of the Year Series, click here. 

The Listed NZB Insurance Stakes will offer 7 Series points to the winner, giving the winning filly a share of the lead, with second earning 3 points and third 1 point.