NZB Filly of the Year Series Heats Up With Soliloquy Stakes
15 October 2026
The NZB Filly of the Year Series has a reputation for unveiling elite three-year-old filly talent, and the $175,000 Group Two Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie has been a big part of that in recent seasons.
The Soliloquy Stakes will be run this Saturday as the third leg of the 2026-27 NZB Filly of the Year Series, with 8 points available for the winner, 4 points for second and 2 points for third.
Since 2018, the list of winners or placegetters in the Soliloquy Stakes includes subsequent Group One winners Well Written (Written Tycoon), Legarto (NZ) (Proisir), Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca), Prowess (NZ) (Proisir), Imperatriz (I Am Invincible), Belle En Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy), Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma), Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle), Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca) and Media Sensation (I Am Invincible).
Time will tell whether this season’s field of 15 fillies in the Soliloquy Stakes will go on to join that group, but they head to Ellerslie on Saturday with all the right credentials.
Among the field are the top five fillies on the NZB Filly of the Year Series leaderboard so far – Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) winner Hawea (Hellbent), Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m) winner Pounce (NZ) (Almanzor), and Gold Trail and Sunline placegetters Liguria (NZ) (Snitzel), Silhouette (NZ) (Armory) and Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express).
Among those lining up against that group are black-type winners She’s No Saint (Prague) and Actionbelle (Bivouac), plus last-start Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) runner up Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor) and fellow stakes placegetters Pinafore (NZ) (Pinatubo), Shalabiya (NZ) (Brazen Beau), Belle Rebelle (NZ) (Ribchester) and Phillyjean (NZ) (Hello Youmzain).
Adding to the intrigue of Saturday’s race, the Soliloquy will be the first black-type appearances for impressive last-start winners Rose Aye Reign (I Am Invincible), Fiamma (NZ) (Pinatubo) and Miss Magnetica (NZ) (Contributer).
This highly talented line-up will attempt to follow in the footsteps of the 2022 and 2025 winners, Legarto and Well Written, who went on to add the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in their next starts.
The Windsor Park Stud Soliloquy Stakes will be run as Race 9 at Ellerslie on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 4.24pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hawea | 12 | Hawea (Hellbent) has established herself as an early standout among this season's crop of three-year-old fillies. Her two starts this spring have produced highly impressive wins in the Listed Chittick Family Fillies' Classic (1100m) and Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), and she sits in equal top spot on the NZB Filly of the Year Series table with 6 points. She was a $300,000 purchase from Book 1 of Karaka 2025. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | Brendon McCullum & Richardson Racing, $300,000 |
| 2 | Liguria | 5 | Cambridge Stud's well-related homebred filly Liguria (NZ) is by Snitzel and is the first foal out of the Group Two winner and Group One-placed Vernazza (NZ) (More Than Ready). In addition to her own deeds on the track, Vernazza is a half-sister to the Group One Queensland Derby (2400m) winner Pinarello (NZ) (Tavistock). Liguria herself won the Group Three Colin Jillings Classic (1200m) at Ellerslie in late January, then ran second behind the season's champion two-year-old Lara Antipova (Russian Revolution) in the Group One Sistema Stakes (1200m). She resumed with an eye-catching second in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), earning 3 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series. | ||
| 3 | Pounce | 15 | Pounce (NZ) (Almanzor) has won two of her three starts at Ellerslie, including the NZB Filly of the Year Series-opening Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m) on September 5. That victory earned her 6 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series, which puts her in equal first on the table. In her only start since then, Pounce was blocked in the straight when seventh in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). Bought for $110,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2025, Pounce has already earned more than $114,000 in stakes. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | Wexford Stables, $110,000 |
| 4 | She's No Saint | 11 | Ruakaka filly She's No Saint (Prague) showed early promise with a sixth in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) in only her third start, and she later strung together three consecutive victories including the Group Three Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) on her home track on August 15. She was a close last-start fourth in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m) on September 5. She's No Saint is a graduate of Book 2 of Karaka 2025, where she was bought for $55,000. She has so far earned more than $139,000 in stakes. | Karaka 2025, Book 2 | ML Bradley, $55,000 |
| 5 | Asturia | 8 | Te Akau Racing's Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor) has made a big impression from only a two-start career to date. She was a highly impressive come-from-behind winner on debut at Ellerslie on September 5, then stepped straight up to Group Two company for a close and strong-finishing second in the Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m) on September 26. Both of those races were over the 1400-metre distance of this race - a distance that few of the other fillies in this field have attempted. Asturia was bought by Sir David Ellis for $135,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2025. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | DC Ellis, $135,000 |
| 6 | Dashing Dixie | 9 | An increase in distance looks ideal for Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Expresss), who ran the fastest last 800, 600, 400 and 200 metres of the race when fifth in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m), then clocked the fastest sectionals again when charging home for third in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). She earned 1.5 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series with her Gold Trail placing. Dashing Dixie was a $340,000 purchase by Wexford Stables from Book 1 of Karaka 2025. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | Wexford Stables, $340,000 |
| 7 | Silhouette | 4 | Trainer Cody Cole paid $120,000 to purchase Silhouette (NZ) (Armory) from Trelawney Stud during the Book 1 session of Karaka 2025. A first-crop daughter of Mapperley Stud stallion Armory, Silhouette won on debut as a spring two-year-old and made a strong return with two black-type placings in her first two starts as a three-year-old. She ran second in the Group Three Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) at Ruakaka, then earned 3 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series with her runner-up finish in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1200m). She produced another good performance for a last-start fourth in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | CW Cole Racing, $120,000 |
| 8 | Pinafore | 3 | Awapuni visitor Pinafore (NZ) (Pinatubo) was a winner as a two-year-old last season, then resumed with a strong-finishing second in the Listed Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) at Hastings. Shambo Jack (NZ) (Shamexpress), who finished third in that race, has been a smart winner since. Pinafore went on to contest the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), where she struck traffic trouble in the straight before finishing eighth. Pinafore cost just $45,000 during Book 1 of Karaka 2025. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | Lisa Latta Racing Stables, $45,000 |
| 9 | Actionbelle | 7 | A daughter of Australia's 2025-26 leading second-season sire Bivouac, the Ben and Ryan Foote-trained Actionbelle was bought for $90,000 from the 2025 Ready to Run Sale. Actionbelle has had only three starts to date, starting with a third on debut at Matamata in mid-June before winning the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Otaki on July 10. She resumed with a late-finishing sixth in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m). | 2025 Ready to Run Sale | Brewers Bloodstock, $90,000 |
| 10 | Shalabiya | 6 | Shalabiya (NZ) (Brazen Beau) is a half-sister to Crocetti (NZ) (Zacinto), who won six of his seven starts as a three-year-old including the Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), Group Two Sarten Memorial (1400m) and two Group Three races. Shalabiya was a scintillating five-length winner on debut at Ruakaka on August 1, then ran second in the Group Three Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and a last-start third - beaten by a half-head and a half-head - at Te Rapa. | ||
| 11 | Belle Rebelle | 1 | Belle Rebelle (NZ) (Ribchester) showed good ability as a two-year-old, beating subsequent stakes winner Perfect Chaos (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) on debut and going on to finish second in the Listed Star Way Stakes (1200m) at Ellerslie. The third placegetter in that race was So Fear (Ardrossan), who won impressively at Hastings last weekend. Belle Rebelle has been unplaced in her first two starts this season. | ||
| 12 | Phillyjean | 13 | Bargain buy Phillyjean (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) cost just $15,000 at Karaka 2025. She has placed in four of her five starts, including the Listed Chittick Family Fillies' Classic (1100m), and has earned $36,975 along with that valuable black type. | Karaka 2025, Book 2 | J Newman, $15,000 |
| 13 | Rose Aye Reign | 14 | Go Racing's Rose Aye Reign (I Am Invincible) finished ninth and fourth in her two starts last season, but has come back much better and stronger at three. She resumed with a second over 1100 metres at Taupo behind the highly rated Getupoffathatthing (Farnan), then won well in a close three-way photo finish at Te Rapa on September 25. | ||
| 14 | Fiamma | 2 | Another filly on an upward trajectory is the $150,000 Karaka 2025 purchase Fiamma (NZ) (Pinatubo), whose only two-year-old start produced a fourth at Ellerslie in April. She resumed with a late-finishing fifth at Te Rapa in August, then dashed to a two-length maiden win over this distance at Taupo on September 11. | Karaka 2025, Book 1 | Wexford Stables, $150,000 |
| 15 | Miss Magnetica | 10 | Miss Magnetica (NZ) (Contributer) has yet to be tested at black-type level but has already shown glimpses of real quality. She finished fifth on debut in the autumn, then had no luck when ninth resuming at Te Rapa in August. She charged home from the back of the field to score an outstanding last-start maiden win over 1200 metres here at Ellerslie on September 5. | 2025 Ready to Run Sale | Phill Cataldo Bloodstock, $100,000 |