Southern Filly of the Year Series Battle Begins

The New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series begins tomorrow at Riccarton with the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m).

The race is the first of four New Zealand Bloodstock sponsored Listed races that comprise the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series, with the eventual winner having collected the most number of points over all four contests.

The $45,000 prize-pool on Saturday has attracted a sizeable field of �13 fillies who will chase the available seven points for first, three for second and one for third.

Race favorite is Redoute's Choice filly, King's Rose (ex Nureyev's Girl), who came fifth in the Group 1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes (1400m) in April. She is trained by Jason Bridgeman who also has two runners, Miss Thorn (Thorn Park x Spray Days) and Sans Souci (Pins x Buckling), contesting the first Filly of the Year Series race at Hawke's Bay on Saturday.

Wearing the number one saddle cloth will be the John Sargent trained Princess Emmy (King's Chapel x Hoot N' Holler) who has only placed out of the money once in five starts. Another daughter of King's Chapel, Shrine (ex Casual Liasion), who came home fifth in the Listed Levin RC Ryder (1200m) in July, will feature in the line-up at Riccarton.

Two fillies trained by John and Karen Parsons will be in the running for the first Southern Filly of the Year points on Saturday; Final Touch (Kashani x My Lydia) who has notched up a second place already this season over 1200 meters, and daughter of Viking Ruler, Audi (ex Audencia), will be having her first outing for the season.

Castledale filly Miss Maximuss (ex Missprynt) will take to the track with a win already in hand after her victory over 1200 meters at Ashburton earlier this month.

New to the racetrack as a three-year-old, Five Coats (Coats Choice x Electric Avenue), will represent her trainers' Peter and Dawn Williams along with stable mate Andromache (Charge Forward x Mythical Play) who won a trial at South Canterbury over 800 meters on Tuesday.

Having her first start for the season is She's A Cougar (One Cool Cat x Smooch), while the Mel and Warwick Coles trained filly Flying Petal (Bunker x Flying Benie) has already had four outings over 1200 meters.

Also lining up at Riccarton are quality fillies Diplomacy (No Excuse Needed x Gilded Saint), Kincaple Princess (Bertolini x Kincaple Lass) and the Paul Harris trained The Harrier (Align x Specified).

Last season's New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series resulted in a four way tie, for the first time in its 30 year history, with four fillies completing the series with seven points on the board.

Brown Eyed Grace (Van Nistelrooy x Lycsis) won the Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m), Chaparella (High Chaparral x Peak Time) stepped up in the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m), Mercury Mistress (No Excuse Needed x Flytaine) won the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) while Ishiabeel (Ishiguru x Danceabeel) took out the Listed NZB Warstep Stakes (2000m).

Click here more information on this year's Southern Filly of the Year Series.