Filly of the Year Series Heats Up With Group 1 gavelhouse.com 1000 Guineas
16 November 2017
The 2017-18 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series will hit fever pitch on Saturday with its second leg, the $300,000 Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
The first of two Group 1 events in the 10-race series, the 1000 Guineas carries 12 points for the winner, 7 for second and 3.5 for third.
Seven of the last 10 Filly of the Year Series winners have won the 1000 Guineas – Insouciant (NZ) (Keeper) in 2007, Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) in 2008, Katie Lee (Pins) in 2009, King’s Rose (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) in 2010, Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock) in 2011, Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) in 2013 and Platinum Witness (California Dane) in 2014.
The current leader in the 2017-18 series is the Lisa Latta-trained Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy), who collected 6 points from her victory in the first leg, the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings.
The favourite is Prom Queen (NZ) (Super Easy), who is making her first Filly of the Year Series start. The chestnut filly, trained by Kenny and Lisa Rae and Krystal Williams, has won eight of her nine starts including the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m), Group 3 Northland Breeders’ Stakes (1200m), Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) and Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m).
The 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 8 with a start time of 3:10pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Prom Queen | 1 | Spectacular filly Prom Queen (NZ) (Super Easy) goes into the race with a superb career record of nine starts for eight wins and one placing. She has won four stakes races, including wide-margin victories in the Group 3 Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) in her last two starts. | Kenny & Lisa Rae & Krystal Williams | Alysha Collett |
| 2 | Dijon Bleu | 2 | From the stable of 2014 winner and Filly of the Year Platinum Witness (California Dane), exciting filly Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy) has won stakes races in all of her last three starts - the Listed Fillies' Stakes (1200m), Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). | Lisa Latta | |
| 3 | Inanna | 3 | A stablemate of the favourite Prom Queen, Jimmy Choux filly Inanna (NZ) strung together two impressive wins at Ruakaka before failing to fire with a after run in the Listed Zacinto Stakes. | Kenny & Lisa Rae & Krystal Williams | Matt Cameron |
| 4 | Malambo | 14 | The most experienced filly in the race, Malambo (NZ) (Duelled) has had 12 starts for three wins and five placings. Competed well in strong company as a two-year-old and into the early spring, but her form has dipped slightly in recent starts. | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | Ryan Elliot |
| 5 | Hasahalo | 13 | Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) was one of New Zealand's best two-year-old fillies last season, winning the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m) and running a fast-finishing second in the Karaka Million. She has had an interrupted build-up to this and has had only two starts so far this spring. | Stephen McKee | |
| 6 | Contessa Vanessa | 12 | A daughter of Bullbars, Contessa Vanessa (NZ) has recorded two wins and three placings from her 10 career starts. She finished a solid last-start fourth in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | Chris Johnson |
| 7 | Swing Note | 7 | After clearing maidens at her sixth start just over a month ago, Encosta de Lago filly Swing Note lived up to her long-held potential with an excellent third in the Listed Zacinto Stakes (1600m) over the same course and distance as Saturday's race. Her trainers produced the first, second and fourth placegetters in last Saturday's Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m). | Stephen Autridge & Jamie Richards | Opie Bosson |
| 8 | Hot Fuss | 5 | A half-sister to the outstanding and sadly ill-fated First Serve (NZ) (Swiss Ace), Hot Fuss (NZ) (Pins) was stakes-placed in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in September. She was a last-start seventh in the Listed Zacinto Stakes (1600m). | Kevin & Pam Hughes | Samantha Wynne |
| 9 | Pierrocity | 8 | Pierrocity is a beautifully bred daughter of Pierro and the multiple Group 1-winning mare Dane Ripper (Danehill). She has had just three starts, most recently a maiden win over 1600 metres. | Stephen Marsh | |
| 10 | The Lustre | 4 | After an impressive maiden win at Winton, the well-related The Lustre (NZ) (Darci Brahma) stepped up to Listed level and finished a close sixth in the Zacinto Stakes (1600m). | Dennis Brothers & Robert Dennis | Jacob Lowry |
| 11 | The Sparkle | 11 | Well-bred filly The Sparkle (NZ) (Darci Brahma) won a 1200-metre maiden at Winton in early October, then boxed on strongly to finish fourth in the Listed Zacinto Stakes (1600m). | Dennis Brothers & Robert Dennis | Shankar Muniandy |
| 12 | Akoya Pearl | 10 | Owned, trained and co-bred by Tarissa Mitchell, Akoya Pearl (NZ) (Civics) has had three starts for one placing. | Tarissa Mitchell | |
| 13 | Lubaya | 6 | A half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Lion Tamer (NZ) (Storming Home), Lubaya (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) has yet to place in three starts. However, she was a fast-finishing sixth in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). | Roydon Bergerson | Rosie Myers |
| 14 | Mahidun | 9 | Mastercraftsman filly Mahidun (NZ) has finished outside the placings in both starts to date. | Ken Harrison | Terry Moseley |