Kiwi Ida Back to Defend Southern Filly Series Title
1 March 2018
Five months after winning the first leg, the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m), Kiwi Ida (Squamosa) is back to defend her New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year lead as the four-race Series resumes in Saturday’s $50,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui.
Kiwi Ida earned 7 points for her Canterbury Belle Stakes win, with the same amount available to the winner on Saturday. She is the only runner in Saturday’s field with points to her name.
The John and Karen Parsons-trained Kiwi Ida has continued to perform strongly at black-type level since her Canterbury Belle win in September, placing in the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) and finishing fourth in the Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m).
Her opposition on Saturday includes the Gore Guineas and Dunedin Guineas winner Excelleration (NZ) (Exceed And Excel), Listed Southland Guineas (1600m) winner Global Thinking (So You Think) and Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) fourth placegetter The Sparkle (NZ) (Darci Brahma).
The NZB Airfreight Stakes is Race 7 at Wingatui on Saturday, with a start time of 3.49pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Excelleration | 8 | Well-bred Exceed and Excel filly Excelleration (NZ) has won all of her last three starts, including the Listed Gore Guineas (1335m) and Listed Dunedin Guineas (1500m). | Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong | Jason Laking |
| 2 | Global Thinking | 5 | A fast-finishing second to Excelleration in the Dunedin Guineas, Global Thinking (So You Think) scored her first black-type win two weeks later in the Listed Southland Guineas (1600m). | Shaune Ritchie | Kylie Williams |
| 3 | Kiwi Ida | 10 | Kiwi Ida (Squamosa) leads the Southern Filly Series, courtesy of her win in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in the spring. In her last three starts she has finished second in the Gore Guineas, fourth in the Dunedin Guineas and sixth in the Southland Guineas. | John & Karen Parsons | Gosen Jogoo |
| 4 | The Sparkle | 2 | Darci Brahma filly The Sparkle (NZ) ran fourth in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in November, and she has subsequently finished fourth in the Gore Guineas, fifth in the Dunedin Guineas and second in the Southland Guineas. | Dennis Bros & Robert Dennis | Jacob Lowry |
| 5 | Courte Zarindi | 4 | After a disappointing 12th in the Gore Guineas, Courte Zarindi (NZ) (Any Suggestion) bounced back in style with a strong-finishing third in the Southland Guineas on February 17. | Sally McKay | Tina Comignaghi |
| 6 | Pipiana | 7 | Pipiana (NZ) (Highly Recommended) scored back-to-back wins in November and January, and she has placed in both subsequent appearances including a third in the Gore Guineas. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Samantha Wynne |
| 7 | Greenpark Gem | 9 | Seventh in the Canterbury Belle Stakes and fourth in the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) in the spring, talented filly Greenpark Gem (NZ) (Highly Recommended) has produced eye-catching late finishes for placings in sprint races in her last two starts. | Mandy & Matt Brown | Racha Cuneen |
| 8 | Dreaming Easy | 1 | Dreaming Easy (NZ) (Super Easy) has had three starts for one win - a convincing victory by three and three-quarter lengths at Gore. | Steve Tyler | Jillian Morris |
| 9 | Madam Swiss | Scratched. | |||
| 10 | Raven Darkholme | 3 | Iffraaj filly Raven Darkholme (NZ) won impressively three starts back, but she has been unplaced in two subsequent appearances. | Nick Wigley | Krish Gundowry |