Daffodil Blooms in Spring, Crowned in Autumn

After the running of the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Oaks at Trentham on Saturday Waikato Stud bred, raised and owned Daffodil joins a long list of super fillies to claim the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.

Daffodil (No Excuse Needed - Spring, by O'Reilly) went into the race with 18 points already on the board, while it was Series newcomer Jungle Rocket who won the $400,000 race, but her 12 points for victory was not enough to see her take the title. Daffodil produced a gutsy fourth in the in the hands of her loyal raceday partner Hayden Tinsley and will take home $50,000 in bonus cheques for her trainer, Kevin Gray and Waikato Stud. Runner-up in the Series was Puttanesca (Bertolini - Tesoro, by Prized) on 14.5 points with Alagant Satin (Al Akbar - Glowing Satin, by Noble Bijou) finishing in third on 14 points.

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�Daffodil after her Group 1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas victory.

Expertly placed by Gray throughout the season, the filly has performed consistently this preparation which began in the Listed Wanganui JC Fillies Stakes on 6 September and saw her contest six of ten legs in the Series, never finishing further back than sixth.

Daffodil's (No Excuse Needed - Spring, by O'Reilly) finest hour came in the spring when she defeated fifteen of New Zealand's finest fillies in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton. That victory, plus placing second in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes and the Group 3 Lowland Stakes, contributed to her 18 point tally.

The Waverly based trainer also prepared 2005/06 NZ Filly of the Year runner-up Legs (Pins) for Waikato Stud, winner of the Group 1 Kelt Capital Stakes and Group 1 NZ Oaks, and it seems Daffodil will follow that very path, with a decision pending on whether Daffodil contests the Group 1 AJC Oaks on April 13 before spelling for the rich Hawke's Bay Spring Carnival.

As the 2008/09 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year, Daffodil joins the likes of household names such as Mop, La Mer, Mun Lee, Tang, Noble Heights, Our Flight, Solveig, Royal Heights, Tri Belle, Phillipa Rush, Plume, Nimue, Snap, Tycoon Lil and Savannah Success, all of whom continue to shape the thoroughbred breed in Australasia to this very day.

For a full list of past winners click here.

As a descendent of taproot female Felucca, Daffodil hails from an international family that includes Group 1 winners on four continents and a pedigree that boasts broodmare sires O'Reilly, Shirley Heights, Habitat and Ribot.

Click here for the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year final points table.

Waikato Stud had a weekend to remember as breeder of Metal Bender (Danasinga), a gelding from the family of exciting New Zealand sires Keeper and Castledale (Peintre Celebre), who announced himself as one of Australasia's best three-year-olds through victory in the Group 1 Randwick Guineas in Sydney on Saturday.

Waikato Stud will present a draft of fifty-eight at New Zealand Bloodstock's National Weanling, Broodmare and Mixed Bloodstock Sale on 4, 5 and 6 May. Included in this will be weanlings and mares representing Waikato Stud's O'Reilly, Pins, No Excuse Needed, Savabeel, Scaredee Cat, and first season sire Fast N Famous.

Focus now turns to the New Zealand Southern Filly of the Year Series which is led by Metropolitan (Elusive City) and Ms Keeper (Keeper) with two races still to be contested on April 4 and April 18.

Click here for more information on the NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series.