Topliners and Newcomers Clash in Third Leg of NZB Filly of the Year Series
16 October 2025
Saturday’s $175,000 Group Two Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie is the third leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series and continues the rivalry between table-topping fillies Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) and Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) – but this time they have some exciting new company.
The early part of this series has been staged exclusively at Ellerslie and has so far been all about Lollapalooza and Tajana.
Lollapalooza launched a stunning burst from the back of the field to open the series with victory in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) on September 6.
She was expected to do something similar in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m) two weeks later and did indeed show that same spectacular turn of foot, but this time the series newcomer Tajana matched her acceleration. The pair hit the finish line locked together, with Tajana snatching victory by a nose.
Those results have put Lollapalooza at the top of the NZB Filly of the Year Series table with 9 points, while Tajana has 6 points, In Haste (Snitzel) has 3 points, and Queen’s Evidence (NZ) (King’s Legacy) and Little Black Dress (Snitzel) have 1.5 each.
Saturday’s Soliloquy is the first Group Two race of the series, offering 8 points to the winner, 4 for second and 2 for third.
Tajana and Lollapalooza are the proven topliners of their generation so far, combining to record three wins at Group Three level through the first two months of the season. After such an exciting clash between the pair in the Sunline Vase four weeks ago, their Soliloquy Stakes rematch is eagerly anticipated.
But this is no two-horse race. Proven black-type performer Little Black Dress was less than a length behind them in third in the Sunline Vase and could easily make her presence felt again on Saturday, while Queen’s Evidence and Unrestrained (NZ) (Time Test) have also shown highly promising signs in the early stages of this series.
Places To Be (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) and Well Written (Written Tycoon) are being thrown in at the deep end this weekend after scoring sparkling debut victories by a combined margin of seven lengths.
Oratia Beauty (Too Darn Hot) was also a stylish last-start maiden winner, and the third placegetter in that race was Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), who went on to win the Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) in his next start.
The Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes will be run as Race 7 at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 3.49pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Tajana | 8 | The Oaks Stud's homebred filly Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was a Group One placegetter as a two-year-old and has recorded two wins at Group Three level from her first two starts at three. She charged home from the back of the field to win the Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka in August, then produced a repeat performance to defeat Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) in last month's Sunline Vase (1200m) at Ellerslie. She sits in second place on the NZB Filly of the Year Series standings with 6 points. | ||
| 2 | Lollapalooza | 9 | The NZB Filly of the Year Series table-topper is Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca), who has contested every leg of the series so far. She flew home from nowhere to take out the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), then was narrowly beaten by Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) when second in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m). She has earned 9 points. Bought for just $30,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2024, Lollapalooza has earned $133,250 from a five-start career. | Karaka 2024, Book 2 | Richardson Racing Stables/Social Racing, $30,000 |
| 3 | Little Black Dress | 3 | Little Black Dress (Snitzel) had a perfect two-from-two campaign last season including the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m). She has finished in the top six in all three starts as a three-year-old, producing her best performance yet for a close third in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m) on September 20. She has earned 1.5 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series. | ||
| 4 | Queen's Evidence | 5 | Te Akau Racing's David Ellis paid $220,000 at Karaka 2024 to buy Queen's Evidence (NZ) (King's Legacy), who has been a black-type performer at the ages of two and three. She ran second in the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) as a two-year-old, then earned 1.5 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series with her third in last month's Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). She finished sixth in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m) after a tough wide run. | Karaka 2024, Book 1 | DC Ellis, $220,000 |
| 5 | Unrestrained | 6 | Bought for only $4,000 from the 2023 National Weanling Sale, Unrestrained (NZ) (Time Test) has had two starts for a debut second and an eye-catching fourth in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m). She is a granddaughter of the Group One Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Royal Tiara (NZ) (Blanco). | 2023 National Weanling Sale | Kakapo Lodge, $4,000 |
| 6 | Oratia Beauty | 2 | Too Darn Hot filly Oratia Beauty finished second and fourth in the first two starts of her career, then cleared maiden ranks with a stylish come-from-behind performance at Taupo on September 17. Both the second and third placegetters in that race have been winners since then, with the third-placed Magic Carpet (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) going on to take out the Group Two Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m). | ||
| 7 | Places To Be | 10 | Places To Be (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) was a $25,000 purchase from the 2023 National Weanling Sale. She made a big impression in her first and only start on September 17 at Taupo, winning by four lengths. | 2023 National Weanling Sale | Chimichurri Bloodstock, $25,000 |
| 8 | Rising Star | 11 | One of five last-start winners in this field, Rising Star (NZ) (Complacent) comes into the Soliloquy Stakes on the back of a half-length maiden victory over 1200 metres at Tauranga on October 1. | ||
| 9 | Well Written | 1 | Well Written (Written Tycoon) produced one of the most dominant maiden performances of the season to date when she kicked off her career at Ellerslie on September 20. After settling midfield, she pounced in the straight and powered clear to win by three lengths and with more up her sleeve. The promising filly was the $80,000 sale-topper in the 2024 National Online Yearling Sale on Gavelhouse Plus. | 2024 National Online Yearling Sale | Stephen Marsh Racing/Dylan Johnson Bloodstock, $80,000 |
| 10 | Savvy Donna | 7 | Savabeel filly Savvy Donna has had two starts and has placed on both occasions, finishing third over 1230 metres at Rotorua and a last-start second over 1400 metres at Matamata. | ||
| 11 | Circus Trix | 4 | Circus Trix (NZ) (Circus Maximus) has recorded a fifth and two sixths from her three-start career to date and might be one to watch when she steps up over further. |