Filly of the Year
NZB is strongly committed to encouraging and rewarding thoroughbred excellence through supporting fillies and mares racing in New Zealand. In the 2025-26 season, we are proud to celebrate 54 years of the highly prestigious and coveted NZB Filly of the Year Series, where the overall winner immediately becomes a highly valuable breeding proposition and earns her connections $50,000 in bonus cheques - $10,000 for her breeder, $10,000 for her trainer and $30,000 for her owner.
Throughout a proud history, the NZB Filly of the Year Series has repeatedly unveiled superstars of the racetrack and the breeding barn. But the 2025-26 edition of the series turned out to be one for the ages. At the end of the exciting 11-race series, the name added to the honour roll as the 54th Filly of the Year was the exceptional Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park).
On December 31, Ohope Wins was a three-start maiden who had played no part in the first six legs of the prestigious series. But stunning come-from-behind victories in three of the last five races propelled her to a title-winning total of 28 points.
Ohope Wins burst on the scene with a flying finish to capture the Group Two Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day. She followed that up in breathtaking style when she went from last to first in the Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2100m) at Te Rapa on February 7.
She earned 16 points from that Group Two double, meaning a top-two finish in the Oaks would be enough to overhaul the joint series leaders Well Written (Written Tycoon) and Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca), who earned 20 points each during the spring. That was something Ohope Wins was widely expected to achieve on Saturday, stepping out as the $2.60 favourite in the Oaks.
Ohope Wins was bred by Gartshore Bloodstock, who raced her through the first four starts of her career culminating in the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes on New Year’s Day. In a deal negotiated by NZB's Alex Teng, she was then bought by Yulong Investments, whose green and white colours have also been carried this season by the undefeated Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and $1.5m Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) winner Well Written.
“She is proper horse,” O’Sullivan said. “That’s the best way to describe her after watching that performance."
2025-26 NZB Filly of the Year Series Schedule
| Date | Race Name | Stake | Dist. | Club | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 September | Gr.3 HB/PB Thoroughbred Breeders Assn Gold Trail Stakes | $150,000 | 1200m | Auckland TR | Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) |
| 20 September | Gr.3 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase | $150,000 | 1400m | Auckland TR | Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) |
| 18 October | Gr.2 Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes | $175,000 | 1400m | Auckland TR | Well Written (NZ) (Written Tycoon) |
| 8 November | Gr.1 Barneswood Farm 53rd New Zealand 1000 Guineas | $600,000 | 1600m | Canterbury JC | Well Written (NZ) (Written Tycoon) |
| 20 December | Gr.3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes | $100,000 | 1600m | Manawatu RC | War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) |
| 26 December | Gr.2 Hallmark Stud Eight Carat Classic | $270,000 | 1600m | Auckland TR | Tellum (NZ) (Ocean Park) |
| 1 January | Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes | $270,000 | 2000m | Auckland TR | Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) |
| 17 January | Gr.3 NZB Desert Gold Stakes | $200,000 | 1600m | Wellington RC | Fairy Dream (NZ) (Proisir) |
| 31 January | Gr.2 Lowland Stakes | $150,000 | 2100m | RACE Inc | Ultimate Habit (NZ) (Embellish) |
| 7 February | Gr.2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies Classic | $275,000 | 2000m | Waikato RC | Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) |
| 21 February | Gr.1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks | $1,000,000 | 2400m | Auckland TR | Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) |
2025-26 Leaderboard
| HORSE | POINTS | SERIES PROGRESS |
|---|---|---|
| Ohope Wins | 28 | 1st Leg 7, 1st Leg Ten, 1st Leg 10, 1st Leg Eleven |
| Well Written | 20 | 1st Leg Three, 1st Leg Four |
| Lollapalooza | 20 | 1st Leg One, 2nd Leg Two, 2nd Leg Four, 2nd Leg Six |
| Tajana | 10 | 1st Leg Two, 3rd Leg Three, 3rd Leg Ten |
| Tellum | 8 | 1st Leg Six |
| Ultimate Habit | 8 | 1st Leg Nine |
| Single Red | 7.5 | 2nd Leg Ten, 3rd Leg Eleven |
| Origin Of Love | 7 | 2nd Leg Five, 2nd Leg Seven |
| War Princess | 6 | 1st Leg Five |
| Fairy Dream | 6 | 1st Leg Eight |
| Little Black Dress | 5.5 | 3rd Leg Two, 2nd Leg Two |
| Ariadne | 4 | 2nd Leg Nine |
| Belle Cheval | 3.5 | 3rd Leg Four |
| Waimea Bay | 3 | 2nd Leg Eight |
| In Haste | 3 | 2nd Leg One |
| Born To Be Royal | 2 | 3rd Leg Seven |
| Clara Bow | 2 | 3rd Leg Nine |
| Fleeting Star | 2 | 3rd Leg Six |
| Crimson Sky | 1.5 | 3rd Leg Eight |
| Capaci | 1.5 | 3rd Leg Five |
| Queen’s Evidence | 1.5 | 3rd Leg One |
Points Available
| RACE TYPE | FIRST | SECOND | THIRD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 | 12 | 7 | 3.5 |
| Group 2 | 8 | 4 | 2 |
| Group 3 | 6 | 3 | 1.5 |