New Zealand’s Finest Fillies Face Off in 1000 Guineas
13 November 2020
For one filly among a star-studded line-up for the Group One Barneswood Farm 48th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, Saturday’s $300,000 feature will be a giant step towards the coveted title of New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year.
The prestigious 1000 Guineas is the third leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series, and it is worth a game-changing 12 points to the winner.
De La Terre (NZ) (Reliable Man) heads into Saturday’s race as the co-leader of the 2020-21 Filly of the Year Series, having earned 6 points with her last-start victory in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa. She shares the lead with fellow Group Three winner Miss Aotearoa (NZ) (Per Incanto), who is missing the 1000 Guineas due to injury.
Sweet Anna (NZ) (Tavistock), Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma) and Tokorangi (NZ) (Redwood) are the others in Saturday’s field with points to their name, earning 3 points, 3 points and 1.5 points respectively with Group Three placings through the first two legs of the Series.
Cornflower Blue (NZ) (Savabeel) and Vitesse Bo (NZ) (Proisir) are both last-start Group Three winners against male three-year-olds, while Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi) won at Listed level earlier in the spring and Tinker McPhee (Nostradamus) was a fast-finishing third in last month’s Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m).
Kelly Renee (NZ) (Vespa) was a Group One placegetter last season, while Embers (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has placed at black-type level this spring.
In addition to its 12 points to the winner, the 1000 Guineas is worth 7 points for second and 3.5 points for third.
The Barneswood Farm 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 8 at Riccarton on Saturday, with a start time of 2:56pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | De La Terre | 15 | De La Terre (NZ) (Reliable Man) was a $55,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2019 and is a full-sister to Group One performer Aalaalune (NZ) (Reliable Man). De La Terre has shown plenty of that family ability, winning four of her 11 starts including a last-start victory in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). She is the equal leader in the Filly of the Year Series with 6 points. | Team Rogerson | Ryan Elliot |
| 2 | Cornflower Blue | 1 | Bred and raced by Waikato Stud, Savabeel filly Cornflower Blue (NZ) has won two of her four starts. She scored a spectacular six-length maiden win at Matamata in early September, then stepped up to Group level with her last-start success in the Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m). Her only defeats were a second on debut behind high-class stablemate Need I Say More (No Nay Never) last season, and a close fourth in last month's Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m). | Jamie Richards | Danielle Johnson |
| 3 | Vitesse Bo | 11 | Vitesse Bo (NZ) (Proisir) is a half-sister and stablemate to Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca), who finished third in this race last year and later won the Group One Levin Classic (1600m). After a seventh and a close second in her first two starts, Vitesse Bo was thrown in at the deep end and won the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1600m), beating the subsequent Group One placegetter Marine (NZ) (Ocean Park). | Ben Foote | Samantha Collett |
| 4 | Matchmaker | 13 | Raced by her Canterbury breeders Inglewood Stud in partnership with Sydney-based Manoj Wanzare, Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi) has shown an abundance of talent in her four-start career. She was a scintillating winner by more than three lengths on debut, and two starts later she won the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) in race record time. In her most recent appearance, she finished third in the Group Three Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m). | Nick Wigley & Kayla Milnes | Troy Harris |
| 5 | Kelly Renee | 7 | Kelly Renee (NZ) (Vespa) is trained by Stephen Autridge and Kris Shailer for her owner-breeder, Valachi Downs principal Kevin Hickman. She went winless last season, but placed in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m) and Group Two Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m). She claimed an overdue maiden win this spring, and was a close last-start fourth in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). | Stephen Autridge & Kris Shailer | Craig Grylls |
| 6 | Embers | 4 | A well-related daughter of Group One performers Darci Brahma (NZ) and Smoulder (NZ) (Traditionally), promising filly Embers (NZ) ran second in the Group Three Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) two starts back. She raced against the best male three-year-olds in last Saturday's Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), finishing ninth. | Tony Pike | Kozzi Asano |
| 7 | Kahma Lass | 12 | Darci Brahma (NZ) filly Kahma Lass (NZ) picked up a win and a placing from her first two starts, then moved into the big time with a bold last-start run for second in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). She was a $290,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2019. | Jamie Richards | Opie Bosson |
| 8 | Sweet Anna | 10 | Sweet Anna (NZ) (Tavistock) carries the colours of owner-breeders Sir Patrick and Lady Hogan, who won this race in 2009 with the exceptional Katie Lee (Pins). Sweet Anna scored a slick maiden win at Te Rapa in early September, then earned 3 points in the Filly of the Year Series with a close second in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). She was a last-start sixth in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). Her trainers, Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, won last week's Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m) with Aegon (NZ) (Sacred Falls). | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matthew Cameron |
| 9 | Tinker Mcphee | 2 | The reigning favourite for this race, Tinker Mcphee (Nostradamus) burst to prominence with an astounding five-length win at Matamata early last month. She then stepped up to Group Two level against male three-year-olds, charging home from well back in the field for a highly creditable third in the Sarten Memorial (1400m). | Simon & Katrina Alexander | Sam Weatherley |
| 10 | Tokorangi | 14 | Tokorangi (NZ) (Redwood) has been a real eye-catcher in her last two starts, flashing home for an unlucky fourth in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and third in the Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). She ran the last 200 metres of the Soliloquy Stakes in 11.08 seconds - the fastest all day. | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Michael McNab |
| 11 | Bonham | 6 | This is the first big test for Bonham (Per Incanto), who has been highly impressive in winning both of her two starts in lower grades. She was bought for $160,000 in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. | Johno Benner & Hollie Wynyard | Lisa Allpress |
| 12 | Fashion Shoot | 5 | Savabeel filly Fashion Shoot (NZ) scored a stylish maiden win earlier in the spring, and she was a solid last-start fifth in the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1600m). She cost $320,000 in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. | Jamie Richards | Chris Johnson |
| 13 | Miss Tycoon Rose | 9 | After a fast-finishing fifth in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m), Miss Tycoon Rose (Written Tycoon) dropped back to maiden grade and romped to victory by five and a half lengths at this course on October 24. She was bought for $40,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2019. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | |
| 14 | Waimoku Falls | 8 | By last weekend's 2000 Guineas-winning sire Sacred Falls (NZ), talented filly Waimoku Falls (NZ) has had two starts for a maiden victory and a close fourth at Ellerslie. She was a $140,000 purchase in Book 1 of Karaka 2019. | Stephen McKee | Leith Innes |
| 15 | Da Vinci Girl | 3 | Zacinto filly Da Vinci Girl (NZ) has finished sixth and third in her two starts to date. She was offered in Book 3 of Karaka 2019, where she was passed in with a reserve of $12,000. | Michael & Matthew Pitman |