Top Fillies Set For NZB One Thousand Guineas

Riccarton Park plays host New Zealand's feature race of the weekend with the running of the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas (1600m) on Saturday. An exciting field of 17 top performing fillies will be competing for the $275,000 purse.

The race forms one of the jewels in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series crown being one of two Group 1 races included. Saturday's feature forms the third leg of the Series.

A sizable contingent of Northern runners have made the journey South with more than half of the 17 starters coming from the North Island.

Trained by Murray Baker with Grant Cooksley aboard, current Series leader, Howmuchyacharging (Howbaddouwantit x Fairdale Lass), will be looking to extend her current two point lead over Vegas Showgirl (Al Akbar x Vegas Magic) following her win in the Group 3 Highview Stakes. Bred by Fairdale Stud, Howmuchyacharging was bought from the Karaka Select Sale for $26,000.

Lance O'Sullivan has the current favourite in the race with the promising Tsarina Belle (Stravinsky x Empress Belle). With three seconds and a first from her last five starts, and having travelled and settled well, O'Sullivan is happy with her progress and confident she can be competitive come Saturday.

One of O'Sullivan's other other exciting charges, Crepe de Chine, who contested the first leg of the Series, won't be running on Saturday after O'Sullivan's decision to aim her instead at the Group 1 Waiwera Infinity Railway Handicap over the shorter distance.

Of the local fillies to contest, second favourite Shikoba (Chief Bearheart x Summary) is a good chance for the Southerners with two firsts and a second from three career starts. Teamed up with Michael Walker and trainer Mark Walker, she produced a 1.5 length victory in the first of the Southern Filly of the Year Series in the Listed NZ Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in September. Walker will ride her again on Saturday.

One of the highest rated fillies in the race is the Cambridge based, Ralph Manning trained, Seachange (Cape Cross x Just Cruising). Her race record boasts three wins from three starts including the WRC Catwalk Trust 3YO Fillies Stakes (1400m) ahead of Hypnotiq (Pins x Invincible) and Triffiq (Pins x Raven Avon). Triffiq will also start on Saturday for Mark Walker.

Other fillies entered who are running on the back of a last start win are Southern girls, Lady Penelope (Pentire x Top Cut), Smitten Kitten (Volksraad x Vanderbilt) and Wazawatsyn (Tuscany Flyer x Robinson). Smitten Kitten and Saplaya (Yachtie x Star of Valencia) are both starters in the event for local trainer, Jan Hay.

The Rogerson/Autridge stable will be represented by Vegas Showgirl in the race. Her last win was in the Listed Leila MacDonald Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) on a heavy track at Ellerslie. Since then she has had another run at Te Rapa where she finished mid-field behind winner, Pulcinella (Stravinsky x Shall We Dance). Group 3 winner Pulcinella lines up for Cambridge trainer, Don Sellwood after a recent win over Tsarina Belle over 1100m at Te Rapa.

Also lining up on Saturday is Mystify (Montjeu x Seamist) who finished second at her last start for trainer Nick Wigley. Mystify will have Lisa Cropp aboard for the filly's third consecutive start. Also fillies Alma Dune (Almutawakel x Housewarming), Boudi Woudi (Easy Rocking x Yellow and Black), Echo Maid (Made of Gold x Echo Beach), Everswindell (Align x Hilarion Lady), Lady Penelope (Pentire x Top Cut) and Twinkling (Star Way x Limitless) will be contesting Saturday's prestigious Group 1 event.

For more information on New Zealand Bloodstock's Filly of the Year Series and the up-coming Ready to Run Sale go to: www.nzb.co.nz.