Showemup (NZ) Shoots For NZB Southern Filly Crown
19 April 2017
NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) winner Showemup (NZ) (Showcasing) will attempt to clinch the 2017 New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year title when she runs in the final leg, the $50,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday.
The Sally McKay-trained Showemup earned 7 points for her New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight Stakes win two weeks ago, and she now sits in second place on the points table. She shares that position with Residential (NZ) (Pins) and La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think), and they are one point behind the leader Starvoia (Starcraft).
With Starvoia, Residential and La Diosa absent from Saturday’s field, Showemup’s destiny is in her own hands. Finishing first (7 points), second (4 points) or third (2 points) in the Warstep Stakes would likely be enough to win her the title.
But Grand Soleil (NZ) (Savabeel) also has a chance to spoil Showemup’s party. She earned 4 points for her second placing in the NZB Airfreight Stakes, and a win in the Warstep Stakes would lift her total to 11. Depending on where Showemup finishes, that could see her come out on top.
But if Grand Soleil wins the Warstep Stakes and Showemup runs second, the pair will be tied at the top of the table with 11 points apiece.
After last year’s Southern Filly of the Year Series ended in a four-way tie, a couple of changes were made to the structure of this year’s Series. One of those changes is that the final leg, the NZB Warstep Stakes, will act as a 'decider'. In the event of two fillies having equal points following the running of the final leg, the filly with the best finishing position in the NZB Warstep Stakes will be determined the winner of the Series.
The NZB Warstep Stakes will be run as race 5 at Riccarton on Saturday with a start time of 3.07pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Showemup | 8 | After some minor injury hold-ups earlier in the season, Showemup (NZ) (Showcasing) has suddenly risen to prominence and is now the likeliest winner of the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year title. Bought as a weanling at Karaka for just $2,250, she has won three races and more than $64,000 in stakes including a dominant last-start win in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m). | Sally McKay | Kevin Kalychurun |
| 2 | Welcome | 1 | Darci Brahma filly Welcome (NZ) showed real promise with back-to-back wins in February and March, but she was ninth and 15.4 lengths behind Showemup in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) two weeks ago. | John & Karen Parsons | |
| 3 | Grand Soleil | 5 | Outside of Showemup, Grand Soleil (NZ) (Savabeel) is the only filly in this field who can win the NZB Southern Filly title. The Cambridge visitor is still a maiden but has been twice stakes placed, including a fast-finishing second in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m). | Tony Pike | |
| 4 | Nikita | 2 | Another Cambridge raider, Nikita (NZ) (Shamoline Warrior) was a winner three starts back and battled on well to finish fourth in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m). | Shaune Ritchie | |
| 5 | Tuilana | 3 | Showcasing filly Tuilana (NZ) is a two-race winner stepping up to stakes level for the first time. She won her most recent start, a 1600m Rating 65 race for fillies and mares at Timaru, by two and three-quarter lengths. | Neil Coulbeck | Chris Johnson |
| 6 | Gloss | 4 | Gloss (NZ) (Coats Choice) is stepping up to stakes level after a half-length maiden win at Timaru at her most recent appearance. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | |
| 7 | Shirley Maude | 7 | A winner at Gore two starts back, Shirley Maude (NZ) (Fully Fledged) didn't have all favours in the running when seventh in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m). | Lisa Vaughan | Gosen Jogoo |
| 8 | Portumna Lass | 9 | A stablemate of the favourite Showemup, Portumna Lass (NZ) (Tartan Bearer) is yet to win but has placed twice including a fast-finishing second over 1600m last time out. | Sally McKay | Krishna Mudhoo |
| 9 | Red River Rock | 6 | The least experienced runner in the field, Red River Rock (NZ) (Red Giant) has had three starts for a third, a second and a last-start fifth in the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m). | Andrew Carston | Terry Moseley |