Southern Fillies to Contest Canterbury Belle Stakes
16 September 2021
In a spectacular Saturday afternoon of feature racing for fillies, the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series kicks off on the same day as its northern counterpart with the running of the $60,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton Park.
Now in its 22nd year, the NZB Southern Filly Series is an important part of the southern racing calendar, designed to assist with the long-term growth and success of the New Zealand breeding industry by providing opportunities for good fillies to earn valuable black type.
The prestigious title is awarded to the filly who earns the most points through the four races in the Series, with the trophy awarded to connections at the annual South Island Awards. The Southern Filly of the Year winner will also receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 plus GST.
Previous Southern Filly of the Year Series champions include Group One performers Ombre Rose (NZ) (O’Reilly), Final Touch (NZ) (Kashani) and Consensus (NZ) (Postponed).
Two of the stars of last season’s Southern Filly Series went on to perform strongly across the Tasman. The title was won by the super-impressive Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) and Warstep Stakes (2000m) heroine Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel), who swept to a brilliant win at Randwick on her Australian debut last month, while last year’s Canterbury Belle winner Matchmaker (NZ) (Makfi) later captured the Group Three P J Bell Stakes (1200m) during The Championships in Sydney in April. Both horses are now in the stable of champion Australian-based Kiwi trainer Chris Waller.
The 2021 Canterbury Belle Stakes gets the 2021-22 Southern Filly Series underway with an exciting clash over the 1200-metre course at Riccarton Park, and it is worth a potentially crucial 7 points to the winner. The second placegetter will receive 4 points, with 2 points for third.
The New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes will be run as Race 8 on Saturday with a start time of 4.08pm.
Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) Field
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Sale | Purchaser | Trainer | Jockey |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Art De Triomphe | 11 | The Go Racing colours were carried to Southern Filly glory by Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel) last season, and the syndicators have another bright prospect for 2021-22 in the form of Art De Triomphe (NZ) (Vadamos). Bought for $80,000 from Book 1 of Karaka 2020, the Andrew Carston-trained filly has scored impressive wins in two of her four starts to date. She swept to a stylish first-up success over 1200 metres at Ashburton on September 6. | Karaka 2020, Book 1 | Go Racing, $80,000 | Andrew Carston | Kylie Williams |
| 2 | Classic Diva | 8 | Classic Diva (NZ) (Proisir) cost only $5000 at the 2019 Karaka May Sale. She made a spectacular debut at Riverton in April, overcoming a slow start to blow her rivals away by almost four lengths, then finished fifth behind Art De Triomphe in her only other start. | 2019 Karaka May Sale | Relyt Farm, $5,000 | Kelvin & Aimee Tyler | Lee Callaway |
| 3 | Sorrento | 17 | Bred and part-owned by Daniel Nakhle, Sorrento (NZ) (Iffraaj) was a debut winner at Wingatui in March and finished sixth over 1000 metres at Riccarton later that month. She was a good second in a trial earlier this month. | John & Karen Parsons | |||
| 4 | Synchronize | 18 | A granddaughter of Group One winner Legs (NZ) (Pins), and from the family of the top-class Xtravagant (NZ) (Pentire), the promising Synchronize (NZ) (Savabeel) was a $280,000 purchase by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis at Karaka 2020. She has had one start for an impressive win, scoring by almost two lengths at Matamata at the end of March, and she won a recent trial at Cambridge. | Karaka 2020, Book 1 | DC Ellis, $280,000 | Jamie Richards | Rohan Mudhoo |
| 5 | Venturesome | 10 | Venturesome (NZ) (Ocean Park) impressed on heavy tracks in June and July, picking up a win and a second placing from her first two starts. She switched to good ground at Ashburton for her only other appearance earlier this month, finishing close up behind Art De Triomphe when fifth over 1200 metres. | Sandy Cunningham | Tina Comignaghi | ||
| 6 | Global Beauty | 20 | Highly Recommended filly Global Beauty (NZ) is already a black-type performer, finishing third behind Avonallo (NZ) (Belardo) and Follow Your Dreams (NZ) (Contributer) in last November's Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) at Riccarton Park. In her only race since then, she finished seventh over the same course and distance in late March. | Bruce Tapper & Varma Ramhit | Brandon May | ||
| 7 | Mochatini | 16 | A model of consistency, Mochatini (Your Song) has had three starts for three second placings, including behind the high-class northern three-year-olds Imperatriz (I Am Invincible) and I Wish I Win (NZ) (Savabeel). She scored a comfortable win in a trial at Foxton on August 10. | Fraser Auret | Samantha Wynne | ||
| 8 | Irish Red | 15 | The second runner in this year's Canterbury Belle Stakes for the tangerine team of Te Akau, Burgundy filly Irish Red (NZ) has had three starts to date for a second and two thirds. That includes a third placing behind the undefeated black-type winner Turn The Ace (NZ) (Turn Me Loose) at Te Rapa. | Jamie Richards | Krishna Mudhoo | ||
| 9 | Fah Sai | 13 | Fah Sai (NZ) (Rios) has shown promise in four starts to date, including a close second to Sorrento at Wingatui in March. The Centaine Spittles-trained filly has also picked up another third placing at Wingatui in May, and she was a last-start fifth at Riccarton Park in late June. | Centaine Spittles | Megan Taylor | ||
| 10 | Fermanagh | 14 | Bred and raced by Sir Peter Vela, Fermanagh (NZ) (Foxwedge) had two starts last season for a debut second placing and a sixth in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m). Her only appearance since then came at the Foxton trials on September 2. | Adrian Bull | Terry Moseley | ||
| 11 | Hello Mary Lou | Scratched | |||||
| 12 | Zacat | 9 | Zacinto filly Zacat (NZ) finished fourth on debut at this course in June, then took a big step forward with a strong-finishing second at Ashburton on September 1. | Neil Coulbeck | Chris Johnson | ||
| 13 | Emanon | 12 | Passed in at the 2019 Karaka May Sale with a $5000 reserve, Emanon (NZ) (Burgundy) has already recorded two thirds and a fourth from her four-start career. She finished less than two lengths behind Art De Triomphe at Ashburton earlier this month. | 2019 Karaka May Sale | Passed In, Res $5,000 | Lionel Dobbs | Sanu Toolooa |
| 14 | Swiss 'N' Giggles | 4 | Trainer Andrew Carston paid $10,000 to secure Swiss 'N' Giggles (NZ) (Swiss Ace) from the 2020 Ready to Run Sale. She has had three starts, finishing third in the most recent of those at Ashburton on September 1. | 2020 Ready to Run Sale | AJ Carston, $10,000 | Andrew Carston | Courtney Barnes |
| 15 | Shameless Tart | 7 | A $15,000 purchase at Karaka 2020, Shameless Tart (NZ) (Shamexpress) has recorded two thirds and a sixth from three starts to date. | Karaka 2020, Book 2 | AJ Carston, $15,000 | Andrew Carston | Corey Campbell |
| 16 | Aerial Blue | 1 | The locally trained Aerial Blue (Air Force Blue) has had only one start so far, catching the eye with a close fourth over 1000 metres on March 27. | Lance Robinson | Gosen Jogoo | ||
| 17 | The Radiant One | 3 | Blue-blooded filly The Radiant One (NZ) (Darci Brahma) has finished fourth in both of her races to date, at Wingatui in March and at Ashburton at the beginning of this month. | Robert Dennis | |||
| 18 | Taimate Diva | 2 | Telperion filly Taimate Diva (NZ) has had only one previous start, crossing the line in fifth place at Ashburton on September 1. | Andrew Carston | |||
| 19 | Shepherd's Delight | 5 | Racing in the colours of the Hawkins family's Llanhennock Trust, Shepherd's Delight (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) was unplaced on debut at Cambridge earlier this month. | Jamie Richards | |||
| 20 | Probella | 6 | Probella (NZ) (Proisir) has had two starts so far in her short career, finishing fifth at Wingatui and ninth at Ashburton. | Karaka 2020, Book 2 | RC Dennis, $10,000 | Robert Dennis |