Third Leg of NZB’s Filly of the Year Series
13 December 2017
New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series continues on Saturday with the running of the third leg, the $70,000 Group 3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1550m) at Awapuni.
The current table-topper is the classy Karaka graduate Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy). The Lisa Latta-trained filly won the first leg, the Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), then finished second to Hasahalo (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). Dijon Bleu sits on 13 points, leading Hasahalo by 1.
Other fillies with points to their name are The Lustre (NZ) (Darci Brahma) with 3.5, Florence Jean (NZ) (Pins) with 3 and Princess Rihanna (NZ) (Showcasing) with 1.5. Of those, only Princess Rihanna will line up in Saturday’s race.
The Eulogy Stakes honour roll includes Filly of the Year title winners Insouciant (2007), Justa Tad (2004) and Savannah Success (1998).
The 2017 Eulogy Stakes will be run as Race 7 with a start time of 4.13pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Dijon Bleu | 5 | The Series leader with 13 points, Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy) won the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and finished second in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). She has also picked up Listed victories in the Wanganui Fillies' Stakes (1200m) and Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). Her form is outstanding and she is a deserving favourite. | Lisa Latta | Masa Tanaka |
| 2 | Divine Power | 10 | Well-related filly Divine Power (NZ) (Power) has won two of her seven starts, and she was a close last-start third in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). | Kevin Gray | Rosie Myers |
| 3 | Savvy Coup | 11 | Christchurch visitor Savvy Coup (NZ) (Savabeel) was hugely impressive winning two in a row during the Riccarton carnival, then placed at Trentham in her North Island debut last Saturday. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Michael McNab |
| 4 | Satin Belt | 12 | After back-to-back wins at New Plymouth and Otaki, Satin Belt (NZ) (Power) was an unlucky fifth in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). | Kevin Gray | Holly Andrew |
| 5 | Contessa Vanessa | 1 | Contessa Vanessa (NZ) (Bullbars) has been doing her best work late in recent races, including a fourth in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and seventh in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m). | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | Ryan Elliot |
| 6 | In The Clear | 4 | The first foal out of Group 1 performer Innocent Lady (NZ) (Viking Ruler), Roc de Cambes filly In The Clear (NZ) built to a convincing last-start maiden win at Waipa. | Graeme Sanders & Debbie Sweeney | Mark Hills |
| 7 | Larima | 7 | A lightly raced daughter of Pour Moi, Larima (NZ) finished seventh on debut before producing a big late run to clear maidens in her only other start. | Janelle Millar | Timothy Johnson |
| 8 | Dance For Money | 8 | By in-form stallion Showcasing, local runner Dance For Money (NZ) ran second to the talented Seraphim (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) two starts back before finishing eighth in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). | Gary Vile | Darryl Bradley |
| 9 | Lady Rossa | 3 | Bernardini filly Lady Rossa seldom runs a bad race and was shuffled back from a forward position when sixth in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes last time out. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Sam Weatherley |
| 10 | Veuve Cliquot | 2 | Veuve Cliquot (NZ) (Rock 'n' Pop) has been unplaced in her last couple of starts but showed significant promise in strong company through the winter | Tony Bambry | |
| 11 | Craggy Range | 6 | Savabeel filly Craggy Range (NZ) is a maiden but has placed in her last two starts, including a second to the subsequent Group 3 winner Matchbreaker (NZ) (Makfi). | John Bary | Shaun McKay |
| 12 | Sainted Pearl | 9 | Another maiden runner, Sainted Pearl (NZ) (Power) has won all of her trials and has finished in the first four in three of her five starts to date. | Nigel Auret | Dylan Turner |