Canterbury Belle Kicks Off NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series
1 October 2020
The 21st New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series gets underway at Riccarton Park on Saturday with a talented field contesting the $50,000 Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m).
The Series is an important part of the southern racing calendar, designed to assist with the long-term growth and success of the New Zealand breeding industry by providing opportunities for good fillies to earn valuable black type.
The prestigious title is awarded to the filly who earns the most points through the four races in the Series, with the trophy awarded to connections at the annual South Island Awards. The Southern Filly of the Year winner will also receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 plus GST.
Previous Southern Filly of the Year Series champions include Group One performers Ombre Rose (NZ) (O’Reilly), Final Touch (NZ) (Kashani) and Consensus (NZ) (Postponed), along with high-class recent winners Emily Margaret (NZ) (Pins) and Miss Federer (NZ) (Reliable Man).
Worth 7 points to the winner, the Canterbury Belle Stakes provides an early opportunity for a filly to steal a march on her rivals in the 2020-21 NZB Southern Filly Series. The second placegetter will receive 4 points, with 2 points for third.
This year’s field features black-type performers Showemhowitsdone (NZ) (Showcasing) and Amosia (Squamosa), along with eight other winners including the highly rated Cornflower Blue (NZ) (Savabeel), who blew away a maiden field by more than six lengths in her most recent start.
The NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes will be run as Race 8 at Riccarton Park on Saturday with a start time of 3:33pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Showemhowitsdone | 13 | Black-type-placed in last season's Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m), Showcasing filly Showemhowitsdone (NZ) began her new campaign with a fourth placing before an impressive victory at Ashburton over race rivals Eva James (NZ) (Super Easy) and Lovebug (NZ) (Iffraaj). | Shane Kennedy & Anna Furlong | Brett Murray |
| 2 | Eva James | 6 | Ruakaka visitor Eva James (NZ) (Super Easy) has barely put a foot wrong in her six-start career, recording two wins, three seconds and a third. Her only previous start at this track was a three-length win on August 29. | Ken Rae & Krystal Williams-Tuhoro | Lee Callaway |
| 3 | Amosia | 7 | While she is still a maiden after eight starts, talented filly Amosia (Squamosa) has already placed twice at stakes level. She finished third behind leading two-year-old filly Play That Song (NZ) (Showcasing) in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1000m) at Trentham, then ran third in the Group Three Woburn Farm 2YO Classic (1200m) at New Plymouth. | Lisa Latta | Kozzi Asano |
| 4 | Lovebug | 8 | Lovebug (NZ) (Iffraaj) was bought for $20,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2019. She has had seven starts for two wins and a placing, exceeding her purchase price with $24,125 in stakes to date. She finished third at Ashburton last start despite significant bumping at the start and in the home straight. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | |
| 5 | Cornflower Blue | 11 | Exciting filly Cornflower Blue (NZ) (Savabeel) comes from the family of champion New Zealand broodmare Parfore (NZ) (Gold Brose), who is the dam of 10 winners including five stakes winners, two at Group One level. Cornflower Blue races in the colours of owner-breeder Waikato Stud. Placed on debut behind subsequent multiple stakes winner Need I Say More (No Nay Never), she won a maiden race at Matamata by six and a quarter lengths on September 9. | Jamie Richards | Samantha Wynne |
| 6 | Laced With Gold | 4 | Bred and owned by Valachi Downs principal Kevin Hickman, Laced With Gold (NZ) (Showcasing) was an impressive maiden winner last season and performed with credit despite being unplaced in the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m), Group Two Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m), Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Listed Wanganui Guineas (1200m). | Stephen Autridge & Kris Shailer | Craig Grylls |
| 7 | Matchmaker | 3 | Makfi filly Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi) made a huge impression with a debut victory at this track in July, prompting a partial sale to Australian interests. In her only start since then, the Inglewood Stud home-bred lined up at Riccarton again for a second placing over 1070m on August 15. | Nick Wigley & Kayla Milnes | Tina Comignaghi |
| 8 | She's Recommended | 9 | After a trial win in August, She's Recommended (NZ) (Highly Recommended) began her career with a strong-finishing second on debut at Timaru in early September. She then headed to Ashburton on September 18, where she produced another big late burst to win by a half-neck. | Ross Beckett | Terry Moseley |
| 9 | Stella Creek | 10 | Stella Creek (NZ) (Per Incanto) had two starts last season for two second placings, both at this track. She finished fourth on her three-year-old debut at Timaru in early September, then scored a dominant victory at Ashburton a fortnight later. She was a $72,500 purchase at the 2019 South Island Sale. | Terri Rae | Kylie Williams |
| 10 | Walkthisswey | 1 | By last season's leading first-season sire Sweynesse, the promising Walkthisswey (NZ) scored a strong front-running win on debut at this track in July. She was unplaced in her only other start, but was fractious in the starting gate and lost two shoes during the running. | Paul Harris | Sarah Macnab |
| 11 | Miss Tycoon Rose | 14 | Written Tycoon filly Miss Tycoon Rose is improving with racing, finishing 12th on debut in July, then fourth and a fighting last-start second behind Stella Creek at Ashburton. She cost $40,000 in Book 2 of Karaka 2019. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Kavish Chowdhoory |
| 12 | The Gift | 12 | The Gift (NZ) (Power) has had three starts for one placing, a close third at this track on August 15. | Robert Dennis | Krishna Mudhoo |
| 13 | Adannaya | 5 | By Niagara out of the stakes-placed mare Elusive Tracy (NZ) (Elusive City), the Lance Robinson-trained Adennaya (NZ) is on debut in this fillies' feature. She has won all of her three trials. | Lance Robinson | Corey Campbell |
| 14 | Lightning Ridge | 2 | Lightning Ridge (NZ) (Highly Recommended) has shown good ability at the trials. She was unplaced in her only previous start, but lost both hind plates during the running and returned without her tongue tie. | Paul Harris | Courtney Barnes |