Pounce (NZ) Puts Wexford Stables in NZB Filly of the Year Contention Again

Lance O’Sullivan and Andrew Scott have trained two of the last three winners of the NZB Filly of the Year Series, and Wexford Stables have made an early statement again in 2026-27 with Pounce (NZ) (Almanzor) winning the first leg of the series at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Pounce scored an emphatic win in the $150,000 Group Three Al Basti Equiworld Dubai Sunline Vase (1200m), earning 6 points to take an early lead in the NZB Filly of the Year Series.

That has been a familiar position for O’Sullivan and Scott in recent seasons, with Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) taking the title in 2023-24 and Ohope Wins (NZ) (Ocean Park) topping the table last season.

The early headline act in Wexford’s 2026-27 contingent is Pounce, who they bought for $110,000 from the Book 1 draft of breeders Cambridge Stud at Karaka 2025. The promising filly has now had four starts for two wins and $111,950 in prize-money.

Pounce raced twice as a two-year-old, finishing an unlucky eighth on debut on Boxing Day and returning there in the autumn for an easy maiden win. She began her three-year-old season with a late-finishing sixth in the Listed Chittick Family Fillies’ Classic (1100m) at Taupo, and then upped her game in style for Saturday’s NZB Filly of the Year Series opener.

Pounce was ridden by Craig Grylls and settled in fourth and one off the rail before living up to her name and chiming in with a sharp turn of foot at the top of the home straight. She kicked away and went clear to win by a length and a half.

“She jumped well from a nice gate in barrier four and she lobbed straight into the one-one,” Grylls said. “She travelled well and followed the Go Racing horse (Miss Janet (Home Affairs)) into the race and she has put them away pretty convincingly.

“The key today was back on a better track and she has done the rest. I have always been excited about this filly. She relaxes so well, and over the shorter trip today she just switched off.”

Scott was delighted with Pounce’s improvement from her first-up performance at Taupo.

“We came away from Taupo pleased with her performance, but it wasn’t quite the result we were looking for,” he said. “We got her back on quick ground today, aided by a beautiful ride by Craig. She got all favours in the run. She had to level up to them and she was good in the last bit, she really ran out the 1200 metres strongly, which gives us a good bit of hope going forward. Hopefully she runs a little further.

“It’s a huge thrill for the team. It’s been a long winter, and it is the first win of the season. It’s good to be on the board, and it’s a good race to win, and it is good to be winning at Ellerslie.”

Scott confirmed that Pounce is likely to carry on towards the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November.

“The summer will be her time, but she is three and they have all got to lead to Christchurch at this stage,” he said. “We just want to celebrate today and enjoy today and hopefully we crack on and she has a good summer ahead of her.”

Silhouette (NZ) (Armory) earned 3 points with her second placing, while TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) winner Dream Roca (NZ) (El Roca) came third and picked up 1.5 points.

The second leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series is the $150,000 Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), which will be run at Hastings on September 26.

Vendor	Cambridge Stud
Purchaser	Wexford Stables (Waikato)
Breeding	Almanzor – Caminata
Sale	Lot 506, Karaka 2025 Book 1, $110,000
Breeder	BBF Syndicate, K C & L Buckley, J L Clarke, K Crawshaw, L B Crockford, A M Donnelly, M Hasnip, K & S McEldowney, R F McKinnon, C J Mills, E, K & T Parker, Run to the Tote Syndicate, J Shearer, J C, M & S Thomas, C D Townsend, Mrs C & H Wakelin, G C Ward & C Weaver
Owner	B J Lindsay MNZM & Mrs J E A Lindsay