NZB Begins 20th Year of Southern Filly Series Sponsorship
18 September 2019
Saturday’s $50,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton marks a milestone for the Southern Filly of the Year Series – the 20th year of sponsorship by New Zealand Bloodstock.
A proud sponsor of the Series since the 2000-01 season, NZB has awarded the prestigious title to star performers such as Ombre Rose (NZ) (O’Reilly), Final Touch (NZ) (Kashani), Consensus (NZ) (Postponed) and last year’s winner Emily Margaret (NZ) (Pins).
The Series comprises four races – the Canterbury Belle Stakes, the $50,000 Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on February 29, the $50,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on April 4, and the $50,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on April 18.
Each race is worth 7 points to the winner, 4 for second and 2 for third, and the title of Southern Filly of the Year is awarded to the filly who has earned the most points at the completion of the Series.
In addition to valuable black-type and prizemoney, along with a trophy presented at the South Island Awards, the Southern Filly of the Year winner will also receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 + GST.
In the event of two fillies having equal points following the running of the final leg, the filly with the best finishing position in the Warstep Stakes will be determined the winner of the Series.
By sponsoring this coveted Series, NZB are working to ensure the owners, breeders and trainers in the New Zealand racing and breeding industry are attractively rewarded.
Saturday’s opening leg promises to deliver an exciting start to the 2019-20 Series, with stakes winners Miss Federer (NZ) (Swiss Ace) and All About Magic (NZ) (Showcasing) headlining a field stacked with talent.
The Canterbury Belle Stakes will be run as Race 8 on Saturday with a start time of 4:14pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Miss Federer | 14 | Bought for only $10,000 at Book 2 of Karaka 2018, Miss Federer (NZ) (Swiss Ace) earned more than $88,000 in prizemoney in a two-year-old campaign that was headed by victories in the Group 3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic (1200m) at New Plymouth and the Listed Welcome Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton. She resumed with a second placing at this track on September 7. | Andrew Carston | Kylie Williams |
| 2 | All About Magic | 10 | All About Magic (NZ) (Showcasing) won three races last season including the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m), and she finished fourth and fifth in two other Listed races. She is out of the Montjeu mare Rosecroft (NZ), who was bought for only $7,000 at the 2016 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Andrew Calder |
| 3 | Woodcote Lass | 15 | Held in high regard by her connections, Woodcote Lass (NZ) (Showcasing) has lived up to that reputation with two wins from three starts to date. After a third placing on debut at Matamata, she won her second start at Rotorua - beating Quick Thinker (So You Think), who has subsequently been a stakes winner at Ellerslie and in Sydney. In her only three-year-old start so far, she beat Miss Federer by half a length. | Stephen Autridge | Samantha Collett |
| 4 | Folk Dress | 9 | Folk Dress (Pierro) carries the world-famous colours of Coolmore and has had two wins and a second from five starts. She was also fourth in the Woburn Farm 2YO Classic and the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1100m) at Te Rapa. She won a trial at Ashburton on September 9. | Jamie Richards | Michael McNab |
| 5 | Hot Tap | 8 | Hot Tap (NZ) (Proisir) placed in only one of her four starts as a two-year-old, but that was a runner-up finish in the Champagne Stakes in her final juvenile appearance. She continued that improvement with a clear-cut win at Wingatui in her first three-year-old start. | Kerry & Ian Taplin | Jacob Lowry |
| 6 | Intimidate | 5 | Intimidate (NZ) (Charm Spirit) looked well above average with a stylish maiden win at Riccarton on June 22. In her only start since then, she was third behind Woodcote Lass and Miss Federer two weeks ago. | Nick Wigley & Kayla Milnes | Tina Comignaghi |
| 7 | Live Drama | 12 | Ghibellines filly Live Drama (NZ) won impressively on debut at this track in March. In her only start since then, she was sixth behind Woodcote Lass on September 7. | Lance Robinson | Terry Moseley |
| 8 | Sorceress | 17 | Sorceress (NZ) (Showcasing) has had one start for one dominant win, scoring by more than five lengths at Ashburton on August 30. | Andrew Carston | Kozzi Asano |
| 9 | Bronte Beach | 3 | Bronte Beach (NZ) (Reliable Man) was competitive in good company as a two-year-old, and she was a highly impressive maiden winner at Hastings in April - nearly falling 350 metres from the finish, but recovering to wn by three and a half lengths. She was a late-finishing fourth behind Woodcote Lass on September 7. | Stephen Marsh | Samantha Wynne |
| 10 | Papagena | 16 | A brave winner on debut over this course and distance in early August, Papagena (NZ) (Tavistock) finished ninth in the Woodcote Lass race two weeks ago. | Kevin & Pam Hughes | Lee Callaway |
| 11 | Our Rosette | 4 | Our Rosette (NZ) (Highly Recommended) is still a maiden, but finished second or third in four of her seven starts. She was a close second in a recent trial. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Krishna Mudhoo |
| 12 | Fairway Flight | 13 | In her only start to date, Fairway Flight (NZ) (Highly Recommended) was a close second at Riverton on April 20, three-quarters of a length ahead of the third-placed Our Rosette. | Leda Beck | Courtney Barnes |
| 13 | Xplosion | 11 | Showcasing filly Xplosion (NZ) is a full-sister to last season's stakes winner and Group 1 performer Xpression (NZ). Xplosion has shown a glimpse of that family ability, placing in two of her four starts so far including behind Sorceress on August 30. | Jamie Richards | Jason Laking |
| 14 | Global Star | 6 | Global Star (NZ) (Ghibellines) has had two starts so far, finishing seventh behind Miss Federer on debut last October and fourth behind Sorceress at Ashburton last month. | Bruce Tapper | Rahul Beeharry |
| 15 | Take A Risk | 7 | Rock 'n' Pop filly Take A Risk (NZ) has yet to win or place in six starts, but has been close behind the placegetter with a fourth and two fifth placings. | Sharon Robertson | Jasmine Fawcett |
| 16 | Last Hoorah | 2 | Last Hoorah (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) made up late ground for eighth on debut in the Woodcote Lass race on September 7 and may be looking for longer distances. | Stephen Autridge | Brett Murray |
| 17 | Super Tap | 1 | Proisir filly Super Tap (NZ) finished sixth at Riverton in her only previous appearance. | Kerry & Ian Taplin | Corey Campbell |