NZB Filly of the Year Series heats up with Eight Carat Classic
22 December 2016
The famous Boxing Day races at Ellerslie will feature the running of the fourth leg of New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series, the $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m), which could have a big impact on this season’s Series leader board.
La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think) has held a commanding lead with 12 points since her superb win in the Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) in early November.
But unbeaten filly Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge) moved within striking distance with 6 points for her win in the Group 3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m) earlier this month, and she could take the lead with a win in the Eight Carat Classic. The winner of the race receives 8 points, with 4 for second and 2 for third.
The only other runners in the Eight Carat Classic field who has already picked up points in the Series are Glass Slipper (NZ) (Pins), who earned three points for her second placing in the Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) in September, and Eulogy Stakes third placegetter Storytime (NZ) (Savabeel), who earned 1.5.
But the Eight Carat Classic field also features the exciting last-start winners Devise (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Galloping Gerte (NZ) (Align), Date Night (NZ) (Savabeel) and Princess Sapphire (NZ) (Savabeel) along with many other well-bred and promising fillies.
The Eight Carat Classic will be closely followed by the fifth leg of the Series, the $100,000 Group 2 Stella Artois Royal Stakes (2000m), which offers the same number of points.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Volpe Veloce | 3 | Bought for $240,000 at the 2015 Premier Sale, Volpe Veloce (Foxwedge) has won all of her five starts to date. Her last-start win in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Awapuni earned her 6 points and third place on the NZB Filly of the Year Series table. | Graham Richardson | Johnathan Parkes |
| 2 | Devise | 5 | By Darci Brahma out of the Volksraad mare Doneze Girl, Devise (NZ) is a half-sister to the Group 1 performer Zurella (NZ) (Zabeel). Devise has had three starts so far, winning the last two. | Shaune Ritchie | Brendan Hutton |
| 3 | Galloping Gerte | 11 | Align filly Galloping Gerte (NZ) has never finished outside the placings in her four starts, including impressive victories in the last two. | Brian McKeagg | |
| 4 | Glass Slipper | 8 | She may still be a maiden, but Glass Slipper (NZ) (Pins) has been stakes-placed in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m), Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). | Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott | |
| 5 | Bonneval | 12 | Makfi filly Bonneval (NZ) is a half-sister to the stakes winners Lady Cumquat, Full Of Spirit and Imposing Lass (NZ). An impressive winner of her only start as a two-year-old, Bonneval resumed with a fifth placing earlier this month. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Opie Bosson |
| 6 | Storytime | 1 | Well-bred filly Storytime (NZ) (Savabeel) has had a win and two placings in her six-start career, including a last-start third in the Eulogy Stakes. | Evan & JJ Rayner | Mark Hills |
| 7 | Date Night | 9 | A daughter of the multiple stakes winner and Group 1-placed Dating (NZ) (O'Reilly), talented filly Date Night (NZ) (Savabeel) capped a consistent run of form with a dominant last-start maiden win. | Graeme & Debbie Rogerson | Cameron Lammas |
| 8 | I Am Gracie | 4 | I Am Invincible filly I Am Gracie has recorded a win and five placings in her 10 starts to date, including a last-start third in the Listed Mufhasa Stakes (1300m). | Moira & Kieran Murdoch | |
| 9 | Princess Sapphire | 6 | Savabeel filly Princess Sapphire (NZ) has had just two starts, finishing fifth on debut before emphatically clearing maiden grade over 1400 metres at Hastings. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Danielle Johnson |
| 10 | Avec Moi | 2 | Avec Moi (NZ) (Pour Moi) was an impressive maiden winner two starts back before an unlucky eighth in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m). | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Craig Grylls |
| 11 | Chambon | 7 | Jimmy Choux filly Chambon (NZ) scored a stylish maiden win at Ruakaka before disappointing in the Mufhasa Stakes. The addition of blinkers and increase in distance is expected to assist. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Michael Coleman |
| 12 | Thistledonicely | 13 | Following a maiden win in early September, Thistledonicely (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has taken on the Group 3 Taranaki Breeders' Stakes (1400m) against older fillies and mares, followed by the Group 2 Sarten Memorial (1400m). She was unplaced on both occasions. The extra distance may suit. | Graeme Sanders & Debbie Sweeney. | |
| 13 | She Brings Joy | 10 | Highly rated filly She Brings Joy (NZ) (Sebring) has had two starts so far for a fast-finishing third and an unlucky sixth. | Stephen Marsh | Samantha Collett |