Locals Repel Northern Raid in Southern Filly Series Opener

The local fillies stood tall in the face of a strong North Island invasion in today’s $50,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton, the opening race of the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series.

Matamata trainers Stephen Autridge and Jamie Richards, who were last season’s champion trainers with 104 victories, came to town with a potent two-pronged attack on the race headed by the well-bred debut winner O’Naturelle (NZ) (O’Reilly).

But it was the home-town filly La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think) who came out on top. Ridden by Racha Cuneen for trainers Mandy and Matt Brown, La Diosa roared home from a long way back in the field to run down the previously unbeaten Starvoia (Starcraft) and win by a long neck. O’Naturelle was another two lengths away in third.

“I knew she would be better over more ground and I was very happy with the way she had trained on since her last run,” co-trainer Mandy Brown told NZ Racing Desk. “I feel there is a lot more improvement in her yet and she will appreciate getting up to a mile.”

La Diosa was bred by the T W Archer Trust, which owns the filly in partnership with Calder Bloodstock, G L Currie, Bruce Honeybone & Deborah Martin, M L Gibson, P B C Sipos.

The second stakes winner for her sire, the globe-trotting champion So You Think (NZ) (High Chaparral), La Diosa is out of the Star Way mare Star Affair (NZ).

Herself a Group 2 winner of the Travis Stakes, Star Affair is a half-sister to the multiple Group 1 winner The Jewel (NZ) (O’Reilly) and the stakes winner The One (NZ) (O’Reilly).

Star Affair is the dam of eight winners from nine foals to race, and La Diosa is the third of those to win at black-type level. Solid Billing (NZ) (Rock Of Gibraltar) won the Group 3 AJC Summer Cup and Listed Queensland Cup, while Thy (NZ) won the Listed Aspiration Handicap and placed in the Group 1 Australian Oaks.

La Diosa earned 7 Southern Filly Series points for today’s win, with Starvoia picking up 4 points and O’Naturelle 2.

The Series now takes a summer hiatus before returning in the autumn with the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes on March 4, the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes on April 8 and the Listed NZB Warstep Stakes on April 22.