Filly of the Year Series Leader Faces Stamina Test
8 February 2018
Top filly Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy) will put her stamina to the test when she attempts to extend her New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series lead in Saturday’s $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa.
The Lisa Latta-trained runner has led throughout the 2017-18 Series. She won the first leg, the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), then placed in the Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1550m). She returned to winning form in style last start, scoring a dominant victory in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
Dijon Bleu has earned 22 points, giving her a significant lead over the second-placed Contessa Vanessa (NZ) (Bullbars) with 13.5.
The five victories in Dijon Bleu’s career to date have come over 1100 metres, 1200 metres (twice), 1400 metres and 1600 metres. Saturday’s 2000-metre event will present a new challenge.
The other runners in Saturday’s field with Filly of the Year Series points to their name are Kapoor (NZ) (Reliable Man) with 4, Marcellina (NZ) (Savabeel) with 2 and Milseain (NZ) (Tavistock) with 1.5, so Dijon Bleu’s Series lead is not under threat this weekend.
The Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic is the seventh leg of the Filly of the Year Series, which features a total of 10 races.
The Cambridge Stud Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic will be run as Race 4 at Te Rapa on Saturday with a start time of 2.05pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Belle du Nord | 11 | While she has only one win to her name, Belle du Nord (NZ) (Reliable Man) was Group 1-placed as a two-year-old last season. She returned to that level with an excellent last-start second behind Age of Fire (Fastnet Rock) in the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham. | Emma-Lee & David Browne | Johnathan Parkes |
| 2 | Dijon Bleu | 7 | A commanding Filly of the Year Series leader with 22 points, Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy) left her rivals standing still in a spectacular three-length win in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) three weeks ago. She had previously won the Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and placed in the New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Eulogy Stakes (1550m). | Lisa Latta | Jonathan Riddell |
| 3 | Kapoor | 4 | Kapoor (NZ) (Reliable Man) is another filly whose one-win record fails to tell the full story. She has finished second to Dijon Bleu in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), second in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m), second in the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) and an unlucky fourth in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m). | John Bell | Jake Bayliss |
| 4 | Marcellina | 6 | Savabeel filly Marcellina (NZ) is still a maiden, but she has already been stakes-placed with a fast-finishing third in the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m). She was doing her best work late when finishing outside the placings in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic a fortnight ago. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matt Cameron |
| 5 | Mark Two | 12 | Mark Two (NZ) (Pins) has shown plenty of promise in her short career to date, finishing a close second on debut and then a strong fourth in the Royal Stakes. | Stephen Marsh | Alysha Collett |
| 6 | Trail Blazer | 10 | Roc de Cambes filly Trail Blazer (NZ) has had a win and seven placings in her 10-start career, including a powerful finishing burst for second in the Group 3 Wellington Stakes (1600m). | Robert Priscott | Michael Coleman |
| 7 | Fiscal Fantasy | 5 | Fiscal Fantasy (Skilled) began her current campaign with two wins and a second, then ran eighth in the Royal Stakes. | Frank Ritchie | Trudy Thornton |
| 8 | Milseain | 8 | A full-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner Werther (NZ) (Tavistock) and Group 3 winner Gobstopper (NZ) (Tavistock), Milseain (NZ) (Tavistock) was an impressive debut winner on New Year's Day and followed that up with a close third in the Desert Gold Stakes. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Opie Bosson |
| 9 | Insight | 3 | Highly rated filly Insight (NZ) (Shocking) won by three and a half lengths in early January, then stepped up to stakes class with a sixth placing in the Desert Gold Stakes. | Stephen Marsh | Michael McNab |
| 10 | Rondinella | 2 | Rondinella (NZ) (Ocean Park) had a far from ideal introduction to the Filly of the Year Series, suffering cardiac arrhythmia and tailing the field home in the Desert Gold Stakes. She had won her previous start impressively and is held in high regard by trainer Roger James. | Roger James | Vinnie Colgan |
| 11 | Bet She Is | 1 | Cape Blanco filly Bet She Is (NZ) won at Ruakaka in December, then finished outside the placings in the Royal Stakes. | Stephen McKee | Samantha Collett |
| 12 | Glendalough | 9 | Glendalough (NZ) (Azamour) has had three starts to date. She placed in the first two, then was unlucky at Te Rapa on January 21. | Peter & Dawn Williams | Mark Du Plessis |