Volpe Veloce Heads Seventh Leg of NZB Filly of the Year Series
9 February 2017
Exciting filly Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge) will try to add to her perfect record and strengthen her lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series when she contests Saturday’s $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa.
The Graham Richardson-trained runner has won all of her seven starts to date, including the Group 3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m). Those victories earned her 14 points in the Filly of the Year Series, which she leads by two points over La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think).
A last-start winner of the $250,000 Listed NZB Insurance Karaka 3YO Mile (1600m), Volpe Veloce will face seven rivals in Saturday’s race. None of them are close enough to Volpe Veloce on the points table to overhaul her if they win, although the Group 3 Wellfield Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) winner Nicoletta (NZ) (Savabeel) has 6 points and could take an equal share of the lead if she wins and Volpe Veloce is unplaced.
Devise (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has 3 points, Grand Soleil (NZ) (Savabeel) has 2 and Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi) has 1.
Saturday’s race is worth 8 points to the winner, 4 points for second and 2 points for third.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Volpe Veloce | 7 | Exceptional filly Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge) has had seven starts for seven wins. Her last three starts have been impressive victories in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes, Group 2 Eight Carat Classic and Listed Karaka 3YO Mile. | Graham Richardson | Johnathan Parkes |
| 2 | Nicoletta | 3 | Savabeel filly Nicoletta (NZ) has won two of her six starts including a last-start success in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. She was previously an unlucky fifth in the Group 2 Royal Stakes. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Michael Coleman |
| 3 | Devise | 4 | A half-sister to Zurella (NZ) (Zabeel), who won this race in 2012, Devise (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has won two of her five starts. She was fourth in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic and a close third in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. | Shaune Ritchie | Jason Waddell |
| 4 | Galloping Gerte | 2 | Align filly Galloping Gerte (NZ) won twice in a row in November and December before running sixth in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic and eighth in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. | Brian McKeagg | Cameron Lammas |
| 5 | Bonneval | 5 | A full-sister to stakes winner Imposing Lass (NZ) and a half-sister to stakes winners Lady Cumquat (Duke Of Marmalade) and Full Of Spirit (Flying Spur), Bonneval (NZ) (Makfi) has won one of her four starts and ran third in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matt Cameron |
| 6 | Rockabyebaby | 6 | Rockabyebaby (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) was an impressive winner two starts back, then finished a close fifth behind exciting three-year-old and New Zealand Derby contender Camino Rocoso (NZ) (Shocking). | Donna Logan & Chris Gibbs | Danielle Johnson |
| 7 | Grand Soleil | 8 | Savabeel filly Grand Soleil (NZ) is still a maiden, but she has been placed in three of her five starts including the Group 2 Royal Stakes over this distance. | Tony Pike | Michael McNab |
| 8 | Gangsters Lass | 1 | Gangsters Lass (NZ) (Guillotine) has won one of her 11 starts and has the advantage of the inside barrier draw. | John Revell | Trudy Thornton |