Tajana (NZ) Takes Top Honours in Sunline Showdown

The 2025-26 NZB Filly of the Year Series has quickly set a high bar for the season ahead, with a pair of quality fillies locking horns in a thrilling second leg at Ellerslie on Saturday. 

The $150,000 Group Three Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1400m) was an eagerly anticipated clash between last-start Group Three winners Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) and Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma), and Tajana prevailed in a photo finish.

The Sunline Vase was only the third Group race of the season for New Zealand’s three-year-olds, and Lollapalooza and Tajana were the winners of the first two.

The Graham Richardson and Rogan Norvall-trained Lollapalooza held the top position on the NZB Filly of the Year Series points table after taking out the first leg, the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), with a dazzling come-from-behind performance at Ellerslie on September 6.

Shaune Ritchie and Colm Murray bypassed that race with Tajana, who was instead saved for the Sunline Vase – her first appearance since taking out the Group Three Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m) in similar last-to-first style at Ruakaka in August.

They were the two standouts in Saturday’s race on paper, and the cream duly rose to the top in a spectacular duel on the racetrack.

All eyes were drawn towards the back of the field through the early part of the race as Lollapalooza and Tajana took up their expected positions in third-last and second-last. Eliza James (NZ) (War Decree) led the field up to the home turn at a strong pace, setting the stage for a final 400 metres that would come down to class and a turn of foot.

Lollapalooza and Tajana have both of those attributes, and they showed them off down the Ellerslie straight.

They both charged home from the back and burst into contention with 150 metres remaining. They pulled ahead of the third-placed Little Black Dress (Snitzel) and fought a desperate battle to the finish line, which Tajana won by a nose.

“She’s not a filly we expected to be firing over 1400 metres, so it really does look good going forward for her,” Ritchie said. “But what a wonderful performance from the second filly as well.

“It was a great contest. Isn’t it nice to have a couple of top-class fillies like these? It’s good for racing when you get horses this close to each other and racing so well. Let’s bring on a bit more.”

Tajana’s performance made a big impression on her rider George Rooke.

“She went into the gates first and was sat down, leaning against the side,” he said. “I got one of the attendants to pull her tail so she’d stand up square. She was still slowly away and never really travelled throughout the race until the bend. I was in a bit of trouble at that stage, just a bit short of room, but once I got her into the clear, she felt very good. She’s hard work, but she’s got ability.

“I got to the front very quickly. If I knew her, I probably would have waited a bit longer and not panicked. Over a mile, I’d say she’ll be even more impressive.”

Lollapalooza retains her lead in the NZB Filly of the Year standings, moving up to 9 points while Tajana slots into second with 6. In Haste (Snitzel) has 3 points and Queen’s Evidence (NZ) (King’s Legacy) and Little Black Dress have 1.5 each.

Tajana is now set to target the next two legs of the NZB Filly of the Year Series – the $175,000 Group Two Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on October 18, and the $600,000 Group One Barneswood Farm New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 8.

“She’ll take her place in the Soliloquy back here next start, and then I really think Riccarton will suit her,” Ritchie said. “But it will probably suit the other filly as well, and there will be others coming up behind them. The 1000 Guineas is a hard race to win, but it’s nice to be heading in that direction with a big chance.”