A Quintessential (NZ) G3 Desert Gold

It looked an intriguing contest on paper and the $70,000 Group 3 Tiger Prawn Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) certainly delivered with Quintessential (NZ) producing a late finish to claim her first black-type race in the seventh leg of New Zealand Bloodstock's Filly of the Year Series.

Trained by leading New Zealand trainer John Sargent, Quintessential (Fast 'n' Famous x Florette) settled at the tail of the field and on straightening set out after the leaders with jockey Lisa Allpress in the saddle.

With race leaders Abeautifulred and Capital Diamond looking to have the fillies feature wrapped up, it was Quintessential who produced a big finish from the back and nabbed the leaders by a nose at the post.

A filly that only had four starts coming into the race, two of which she had won, Quintessential is the first stakes winner for her sire Fast 'n' Famous who stands at Waikato Stud. A Group 3 winning son of champion sire Redoute's Choice, Fast 'n' Famous has 17 entries in the National Yearling Sales Series.

Bred by Trelawney Thoroughbred Ltd, Quintessential was purchased by Adrian Clark for Nearco Stud Limited from Trelawney Stud at New Zealand Bloodstock's 2010 Karaka Select Sale for $70,000. The victory gives the daughter of Fast 'n' Famous six points in New Zealand Bloodstock's Filly of the Year Series and a share of sixth place. She holds a nomination for the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks on 17 March.

Trelawney Stud has 34 entries in the National Yearling Sales including:

• Lot 246, the three-quarter sister by Savabeel to the Group 1 winner Lights of Heaven (Zabeel).
• Lot 394, the half-brother by O'Reilly to the Group 1 VRC Derby winner Amalfi (Carnegie).

Running second in the Group 3 was the Lisa Latta trained Capital Diamond (NZ) (Lucky Unicorn x Diamond Smile) who has been in top form this season. She continues to produce bold performances in the Filly of the Year Series, placing in the Group 1 1000 Guineas and Eulogy Stakes, and has taken her total points to 8 in the Series, third equal with Chicharita (Towkay). She too is nominated for the New Zealand Oaks.

Coming with Quintessential in the final stages down the outside, Artistic (NZ) (Darci Brahma x Artless) is another filly that continues to produce good performances in the Filly of the Year Series. A winner of the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes in late September, she has earned 1.5 points, her first of the Series, and is another filly that is Oaks bound for trainer Shaune Ritchie.

To view the current points table for New Zealand Bloodstock's Filly of the Year Series, click here.

The next leg of the Filly of the Year Series, the $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (2000m), will be held at Te Rapa on 11 February.