Filly of the Year Series Goes Down to the Wire
13 March 2019
The stage is set for a thrilling finish to the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, with a star-studded field assembled for Saturday’s final leg – the $400,000 Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham.
The prestigious classic is worth 12 Filly of the Year Series points to the winner, and three fillies are in with a shot at the coveted title.
Queen of Diamonds (NZ) (Savabeel) and Imelda Mary (NZ) (Ferlax) share the lead with 18 points, while Pinmedown (NZ) (Pins) is breathing down their necks on 14.
Between them, that trio has won six of the nine Filly of the Year Series races this season – Queen of Diamonds has won the Group 3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1550m) and Group 2 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes (2100m), Imelda Mary the Group 2 Valachi Downs Royal Stakes (2000m) and Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m), and Pinmedown the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and Group 3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m).
The others in Saturday’s field who have earned points during the Series are Shezathinka (So You Think) and Sentimental Miss (NZ) (Reliable Man) with 4 each, Clementina (NZ) (Savabeel), Elate (NZ) (Savabeel) and Jakkalbomb (NZ) (Jakkalberry) with 3, and Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel) with 1.5.
In addition to its 12 points to the winner, the New Zealand Oaks is worth 7 points for second and 3.5 for third.
The Al Basti Equiworld New Zealand Oaks will be run as Race 8 on Saturday with a start time of 4.45pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Imelda Mary | 4 | $3,500 Karaka yearling purchase Imelda Mary (NZ) (Ferlax) has been the fairytale story of the New Zealand summer. After a close fifth in the Group 1 Gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas, she has won the Group 2 Valachi Downs Royal Stakes (2000m) and Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic (2000m). She was also a close eighth in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). She made up late ground for third in the Group 2 Lowland Stakes (2100m) last start. She is the joint leader on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series table with 18 points. | Wayne Hillis | Cameron Lammas |
| 2 | Queen Of Diamonds | 20 | Beautifully bred Savabeel filly Queen of Diamonds (NZ) was a $640,000 yearling at Karaka. She burst on the scene in the spring with a five-length maiden win and a victory in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1550m), and then ran third in the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m), fourth in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic and third in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic. A last-start win in the Lowland Stakes earned her Oaks favouritism and a share of the Filly of the Year Series lead with 18 points. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matt Cameron |
| 3 | Pinmedown | 15 | $28,000 Karaka graduate Pinmedown (NZ) (Pins) produced a powerful finish to win the Eight Carat Classic at Ellerslie on Boxing Day, then did her best work late when sixth in the Royal Stakes and ninth in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic. She roared back into winning form with a strong performance in the Group 3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie two weeks ago. She is third on the Filly of the Year Series table with 14 points. | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Jake Bayliss |
| 4 | Shezathinka | 19 | Shezathinka (So You Think) has yet to win in her six-start career, but she has placed in five of those races. The most recent was the Lowland Stakes, in which she produced a big finish into second. The two Oaks favourites and Filly of the Year Series leaders, Queen of Diamonds and Imelda Mary, finished first and third. | Jamie Richards | Chris Johnson |
| 5 | Sentimental Miss | 2 | Reliable Man filly Sentimental Miss (NZ) won a maiden race in November and has been a consistent black-type performer since then, starting with a third behind subsequent Derby winner Crown Prosecutor (Medaglia d'Oro) in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). Since then she has been fifth in the Eulogy Stakes, sixth in the Group 3 Williment Travel Group Desert Gold Stakes (1600m), second in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic and ninth in the Lowland Stakes. | Lisa Latta | Lisa Allpress |
| 6 | Clementina | 1 | Another runner in the Oaks field who is surprisingly still a maiden, Clementina (NZ) (Savabeel) has been a strong-finishing second in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) and the Sunline Vase in her last two starts. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Leith Innes |
| 7 | Elate | 6 | After placing behind Queen of Diamonds in the Eulogy Stakes earlier in the season, Elate (NZ) (Savabeel) produced a breakthrough performance to win the Oaks Prelude at New Plymouth in early February. She suffered cardiac arrhythmia in the Sunline Vase. | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | Troy Harris |
| 8 | Savy Yong Blonk | 5 | Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel) won two races in December before stepping up to stakes level, where she has finished seventh in the Desert Gold Stakes, fifth in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic and a fast-finishing third in the Sunline Vase. | Jamie Richards | Michael McNab |
| 9 | Jakkalbomb | 11 | Jakkalberry filly Jakkalbomb (NZ) has been a strong performer over recent weeks, finishing second in the Desert Gold Stakes, third in the Oaks Prelude and fourth in the Lowland Stakes. | Janelle Millar | Rosie Myers |
| 10 | Beyond The Fort | 3 | Unbeaten filly Beyond The Fort (NZ) (Niagara) has yet to be tested at black-type level or over this sort of distance, but she has made a good impression with stylish 1600-metre victories at Tauherenikau and Otaki. | Bill Thurlow | Dylan Turner |
| 11 | Pullyoursocksup | 16 | A full-sister to the Group 1 performer Prince Mambo (NZ) (Thewayyouare), Pullyoursocksup (NZ) (Thewayyouare) has had eight starts for a win and three placings. She ran third in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) on Boxing Day, then a close fourth in the Desert Gold Stakes. She was ninth, 3.4 lengths from the winner, in the Sunline Vase. | Stephen McKee | Sam Spratt |
| 12 | Dare To Compare | 8 | Jakkalberry filly Dare To Compare (NZ) has won twice in her eight-start career, scoring by two lengths at Tauranga on January 2 and by a length and a quarter at Pukekohe in her last start on February 28. She ran 11th in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic. | Robert Priscott | Shaun McKay |
| 13 | Rubira | 7 | A Listed winner of the Champagne Stakes (1600m) last season, Rubira (Lope de Vega) finished fifth at Group Three level in Melbourne in the spring. She has built into this Oaks campaign with two close fifth placings, then an unlucky eighth in the Sunline Vase. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Johnathan Parkes |
| 14 | Kinshasa | 12 | Kinshasa (NZ) (Tavistock) has had a win and a placing among her five starts, and she was a close seventh in the Sunline Vase last start. | Cody Cole | Sam Collett |
| 15 | Schist | 22 | Reliable Man filly Schist (NZ) scored a stylish maiden win at New Plymouth in late December. She ran 11th in the Desert Gold Stakes and eigth in the Oaks Prelude, then a last-start second behind the subsequent Derby placegetter Platinum Invador (NZ) (Redwood). | Allan Sharrock | Jason Laking |
| 16 | Allacciato | 13 | Niagara filly Allacciato (NZ) has had six starts for a win and three placings. She made up ground late when seventh in the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) in the spring, and she never had clear running when 10th in the Lowland Stakes. | Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen | |
| 17 | Star Karen | 14 | Star Karen is by Camelot and has had a win and a placing from seven starts so far. She finished 12th in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic. | Peter & Dawn Williams | Robert Hannam |
| 18 | Nerve Not Verve | 9 | Nerve Not Verve (NZ) (Shocking) is a half-sister to last week's Group 1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner Glory Days (NZ) (Red Giant). Placed in both of her first two starts, Nerve Not Verve has been unlucky when ninth in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic and eighth in the Lowland Stakes. | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Ryan Elliot |
| 19 | Cornish Point | Scratched | |||
| 20 | Gocara | 21 | Gocara (NZ) (Redwood) has had only two starts to date, finishing third and 10th. | Darrell Hollinshead | |
| 21 | Extrememiss | 17 | A daughter of Group 1-winning mare Ekstreme (NZ) (Ekraar), Extrememiss (NZ) (Cape Blanco) has had eight starts, with two fourths and two fifths. | Bryce Revell | |
| 22 | Bingwa | 18 | Bingwa (NZ) (Redwood) has been unplaced in all of her five starts to date. | Graeme Swann |