Star Fillies Set for Battle in gavelhouse.com 1000 Guineas
9 November 2016
New Zealand’s leading three-year-old fillies will battle for supremacy in Saturday’s $300,000 gavelhouse.com 44th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
The classic is being run under a new name this year, named after New Zealand Bloodstock’s Australasian online auction platform gavelhouse.com.
The gavelhouse.com 1000 Guineas is the second leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series and one of the most significant, carrying 12 points for the winner, 7 points for second and 3.5 points for third.
Honey Rider (NZ) (Pins) leads the Series following her win in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings in September, but she will not be lining up in Saturday’s Guineas. But Gold Trail Stakes placegetters Glass Slipper (NZ) (Pins) and Mystery Show (NZ) (Sakhee’s Secret) are there, lining up against a host of high-class challengers.
The favourite is La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think), whose dam Star Affair is a half-sister to The Jewel (NZ) (O’Reilly) who won the 1000 Guineas 14 years ago. La Diosa has won three of her five starts including the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) and Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) in her last two appearances.
The 1000 Guineas is one of the country’s most prestigious races and has been won by seven of the last 10 Filly of the Year winners – Platinum Witness (California Dane) in 2014, Costa Viva (Encosta De Lago) in 2013, Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock) in 2011, King’s Rose (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) in 2010, Katie Lee (Pins) in 2009 and Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed) in 2008.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | La Diosa | 9 | A close relative to 2002 winner The Jewel (NZ) (O'Reilly), the classy filly La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think) has won three of her five starts including two impressive black-type wins. In last month's Listed Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) she beat Heroic Valour and Savile Row, who went on to place in last Saturday's Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas. | Mandy & Matt Brown | Racha Cuneen |
| 2 | Astara | 4 | Dalghar filly Astara (NZ) has won three of her seven starts, two at stakes level. When she won the Listed Champagne Stakes in April she set a new national record for a two-year-old over 1600 metres, the distance of this race. She also won the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) in her last start. | Donna Logan & Chris Gibbs | Samantha Collett |
| 3 | Mystery Show | 6 | Mystery Show (NZ) (Sakhee's Secret) has had five starts and never finished out of the placings. She has won two and placed in all of the other three, including the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Listed Soliloquy Stakes. | James Bridge | |
| 4 | It's Time For Magic | 11 | Bought for just $1,200 at the 2014 National Weanling, Broodmare & Mixed Bloodstock Sale, It's Time For Magic (NZ) (Per Incanto) scored a Listed win in the O'Leary's Fillies' Stakes (1200m) in September. She has run seventh in the Gold Trail Stakes and Soliloquy Stakes in her last two appearances. | Robert Priscott | |
| 5 | Glass Slipper | 7 | Although still a maiden, Glass Slipper (NZ) (Pins) has been stakes-placed on three occasions in her six-start career. She has run second in the Gold Trail Stakes and Soliloquy Stakes in her last two starts. | Lance O'Sullivan & Andrew Scott | Leith Innes |
| 6 | Midnight Gossip | 2 | One of the most inexperienced runners in the field, Midnight Gossip (NZ) (Showcasing) has had just three starts for two wins. She was an impressive winner at this course last start. | Nigel Tiley | |
| 7 | Bella Gioia | 10 | Swiss Ace filly Bella Gioia (NZ) began her campaign with stylish back-to-back wins, then a fast-finishing fourth in the Gold Trail Stakes. She was a last-start seventh behind Ugo Foscolo (NZ) (Zacinto) in the Group 2 Sarten Memorial (1400m). | Shaune Ritchie | |
| 8 | Zigwig | 1 | A stakes winner at two, Zigwig (NZ) (Zacinto) has placed in two of her three starts so far this season. | Nick Wigley | Terry Moseley |
| 9 | Royal Fashion | 5 | Snitzel filly Royal Fashion carries the violet and rose colours of owner Dr Gene Tsoi, carried to 1000 Guineas victory in 2010 by King's Rose (NZ) (Redoute's Choice). Royal Fashion was an impressive maiden winner two starts back, then fourth in the Sarten Memorial. | Mark Forbes | |
| 10 | Sweepstake | 8 | Sweepstake (NZ) (Per Incanto) has had three starts for a win and two fourths, the most recent of which was in the Barneswood Farm Stakes. | Mike Breslin | |
| 11 | Incantesimo | 3 | Per Incanto filly Incantesimo (NZ) was a fast-finishing fourth last start at Motukarara. Her trainer Graham Richardson came second in this race last year with Strada Cavallo (NZ) (Alamosa). | Graham Richardson |