Kahma Lass (NZ) Sparkles in Group One 1000 Guineas

With a breakthrough performance in Saturday’s $300,000 Group One Barneswood Farm 48^th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, lightly raced filly Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has burst to the top of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series table.

Previously a runner-up in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), the $290,000 Karaka 2019 purchase has now soared to 15 points and taken a clear lead in the race for the coveted Filly of the Year title.

Kahma Lass only began her racing career on September 13, with her maiden victory coming at Avondale three weeks later. On Saturday, at just her fourth start, she defeated a star-studded field and became a Group One winner.

She dropped out near the back of the field in the early stages of the race, and was still one of the last as the field swung around the corner into the long Riccarton straight. But jockey Opie Bosson picked a perfect path between runners and Kahma Lass produced a powerful sprint.

She sprinted past gallant stablemate Cornflower Blue (NZ) (Savabeel) in the last 75 metres of the race, then held out a flying late finish by Miss Tycoon Rose (Written Tycoon) to win by three-quarters of a length.

Leading the 2020-21 NZB Filly of the Year Series is nothing new for leading trainer Jamie Richards, who previously held the top spot with the currently sidelined Miss Aotearoa (NZ) (Per Incanto), who won the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) earlier in the spring.

“Kahma Lass is a good filly and had the right man on board,” Richards said. “She’d done really well and had gone the right way since her Te Rapa run (Soliloquy Stakes).

“Her work had been very good and she arrived down from Matamata in good order with everything going to plan.

“We knew she was pretty sharp when she trialled up as a two-year-old but she had to get through some maturity issues.”

Kahma Lass was bought from Curraghmore’s draft in Book 1 of Karaka 2019 by David Ellis CNZM. She is raced by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay. Kahma Lass has had four starts for two wins and two second placings, earning $179,400 in stakes in the first two months of her career.

“Wasn’t that fantastic,” Brendan Lindsay said. “I could see she was going well at the top of the straight, but what a ride. It’s pretty bloody exciting alright.

“We thought we had a chance, but there were plenty of good fillies in the race, so we’re just delighted to end up on top.”

The 1000 Guineas produced a Karaka quinella, with runner-up Miss Tycoon Rose being a $40,000 purchase from Book 2 of Karaka 2019. She has earned $53,800 in prize-money.

With three legs of the NZB Filly of the Year Series down and another eight remaining, Kahma Lass leads by 8 points. Miss Tycoon Rose sits in second place with 7 points to her name, while Miss Aotearoa and De La Terre (NZ) (Reliable Man) share third spot with 6 points each.

The remainder of the NZB Filly of the Year Series is back in the North Island, starting with the $70,000 Group Three LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Awapuni on December 12.

Vendor	Curraghmore
Purchaser	Mr DC Ellis (Te Akau)
Breeding	Darci Brahma – Distinctive Lass
Sale	Lot 684, Karaka 2019 Book 1, $290,000
Bred by	Nearco Stud Limited