New Favourite for NZB Filly of the Year Series Crown

The Group 1 $300,000 New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas (1600m) was won by Te Akau Racing’s Costa Viva (Encosta de Lago) in front of a capacity crowd at Riccarton Park on Saturday, propelling the three-year-old filly to the top of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.

Group 1 NZB New Zealand 1000 Guineas winner Costa Viva.

With five of the last six winners of the New Zealand Bloodstock 1000 Guineas also going on to secure the final NZB Filly of the Year Series crown, Costa Viva’s win puts her in hot favouritism to become Te Akau Racing’s fifth Filly of the Year Series winner in the past decade.

The Jason Bridgman trained filly travelled down from the team’s Matamata base for her lead up run at Riccarton Park last month where she was decisive winner of the Listed Ray Coupland Stakes, having finished second to race rival Bounding (Lonhro) at her previous start.

Bounding started a resounding favourite on the back of an unbeaten three-year-old campaign but was trapped wide throughout the race from her outside barrier.

Costa Viva was able to sit near the tale of the field in the race that was run at an even pace, suiting the backmarker. Leith Innes gave his mount an economical journey and that was telling over the final stages of the race.

Bounding had found the lead in the straight despite her tough trip but as hard as she fought she was no match for Costa Viva over the final stages, with the familiar tangerine and blue colours of Te Akau Racing gaining superiority to score by three-quarters of a length. Fellow Jason Bridgman trained runner Spellbinder (NZ) (O’Reilly) held onto third position after sitting outside the early pace.

“We were quietly confident heading into the race,” commented Bridgman. “She had been in great form and her work was really good.”

“It is never easy in a Group 1 to be over-confident but we were happy that we had a horse that was going to be competitive and with the right run she was capable, so it was very pleasing.

“As long as the races in the Filly of the Year Series suit we will continue down that path. We have to find out now whether she will run 2000m. In order to take the Series out they need to be able to stay as well and that will be answered in time.

“She will head to the paddock for a couple of weeks and probably won’t be ready until Boxing Day/New Year time.”

The owners of Costa Viva, Mrs J & R K Batten, Mrs D Ford, D P & Mrs N E Hurst earned $178,125 from the win of their filly on Saturday and added valuable residual value as a breeding prospect.

With three of the ten races in the Series now completed, victory in Saturday’s Group 1 feature has propelled Costa Viva to the top of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series Leaderboard with 15 points.

Costa Viva has taken over the lead from Bounding, who received 7 points for her second placing to go with the 6 points she had already earned in the Series for a total of 13 points. Spellbinder accumulated a further 3.5 points to sit in third position on 7.5 points.

The next race in the Series will be the $70,000 Group 3 Ezibuy Euglogy Stakes (1600m) on 14 December, with the Series culminating with the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks on 15 March.

Sponsor New Zealand Bloodstock will conduct its annual Ready to Run Sale of 2YOs this week, with selling to commence at 11am on Tuesday 19 and Wednesday 20 November.