Gold Trail Stakes gets NZB Filly of the Year Series Underway
19 September 2018
The 47th New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series begins at Hastings on Saturday with the $70,000 Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders’ Gold Trail Stakes (1200m).
The prestigious Series is made up of 10 Group races, over distances ranging from 1200 to 2400 metres, between September and March.
The New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year winner immediately becomes a highly valuable breeding proposition and earns her connections $50,000 in bonus cheques including $10,000 for her breeder, $10,000 for her trainer and $30,000 for her owner.
The Filly of the Year Series trophy and bonus cheques are presented to the winning connections at the Horse of the Year Awards.
The Gold Trail Stakes is the shortest race of the Series, but has often provided an early glimpse of outstanding talent. It was won last year by the Filly of the Year, Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy), while the honour roll also features Group 1 winners such as Snap (NZ) (Kingdom Bay), Taatletail (NZ) (Faltaat), Juice (NZ) (Bertolini), Anabandana (Anabaa), Bounding (Lonhro) and O’Marilyn (NZ) (O’Reilly).
This year’s field is headed by the champion two-year-old of last season, Avantage (Fastnet Rock). Bought for $210,000 at the 2017 Premier Sale, Avantage has won five of her six starts including the Karaka Million (1200m) and the Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
Local filly Xpression (NZ) (Showcasing) won the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) last season and resumed with a stylish win at Taupo last month.
The winner of the Gold Trail Stakes will receive 6 Filly of the Year Series points, with 3 for second and 1.5 for third.
The Gold Trail Stakes will be run as Race 5 on Saturday with a start time of 2.42pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Avantage | 1 | Fastnet Rock filly Avantage has won five of her six starts including the Karaka Million (1200m) and Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m). Her only defeat was a close second in the Group 1 Sistema Stakes (1200m). The $210,000 Premier Sale purchase was voted last season's champion New Zealand two-year-old. | Jamie Richards | Danielle Johnson |
| 2 | Xpression | 8 | Part-owned by her breeders Haunui Bloodstock Ltd, Xpression (NZ) (Showcasing) has had three starts for two wins and a placing. She won last season's Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) at her second start, and resumed with a win over 1100 metres at Taupo last month. | Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen | Sam Collett |
| 3 | Platinum Mam'selle | 7 | Platinum Mam'selle (Fighting Sun) is trained by Lisa Latta, who won this race last year with Filly of the Year Dijon Bleu (NZ) (Burgundy). Platinum Mam'selle has had five starts for a win and two placings, inluding a second in the Group 3 Phoenix Park 2yo Classic (1200m). | Lisa Latta | Johnathan Parkes |
| 4 | Loose Cannon | 2 | Bought for $150,000 at the 2017 Premier Sale, Loose Cannon (NZ) (Tavistock) scored an impressive come-from-behind win in her only start. | Stephen Marsh | Mark Hills |
| 5 | Rocket Fuel | 4 | Smart Missile filly Rocket Fuel has had two starts, placing on debut before an easy last-start win at Waipa. | Graham Richardson & Gavin Parker | Cameron Lammas |
| 6 | Beam Of Light | 6 | Beam Of Light (NZ) (Power) has had four starts for a win and a placing, and she was a last-start sixth in the Listed O'Learys Fillies' Stakes (1200m). | Team Rogerson | Ryan Elliot |
| 7 | Stella Noire | 3 | Very impressive in winning her only juvenile start, Stella Noire (NZ) (Showcasing) didn't have all favours when eighth first-up this season in the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) over this course and distance. | Tony Pike | Leith Innes |
| 8 | What A Smasher | 9 | Swiss Ace filly What A Smasher (NZ) has had eight starts for a win, two placings and a gutsy last-start fourth in the El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy | Kevin Gray | Rosie Myers |
| 9 | Miss Maxipark | 5 | South Island visitor Miss Maxipark (NZ) (Ocean Park) has switched to the Gold Trail after originally being nominated for the Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton on the same day. She has had five starts for four seconds and a fourth. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Chris Johnson |