Talented Field for Ninth Leg of NZB Filly of the Year Series
28 February 2019
Just three days after an exciting Lowland Stakes at Hastings, the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series action continues thick and fast with the ninth leg, the $70,000 Group 3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.
Following the Lowland Stakes, Queen of Diamonds (NZ) (Savabeel) and Imelda Mary (NZ) (Ferlax) are the equal Series leaders with 18 points each.
No runners in Saturday’s Sunline Vase field are currently within striking range of that pair, but they are building towards the final leg, the $400,000 Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. That race is worth 12 points to the winner, setting up a potential “winner takes all” scenario.
Two runners in the Sunline Vase field already have Filly of the Year Series points to their name.
Pinmedown (NZ) (Pins) has 8 points, courtesy of her win in the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
Elate (NZ) (Savabeel) finished second to Queen of Diamonds in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1550m), earning 3 points. She has subsequently won the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth.
The Real Beel (NZ) (Savabeel) produced a remarkable performance at Ellerslie on Karaka Million night, defying 160-to-one odds for a close second in the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).
The McKee Family Sunline Vase will be run as Race 6 on Saturday with a start time of 3:10pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | The Real Beel | 5 | Savabeel filly The Real Beel (NZ) was stakes-placed last season and made a spectacular return to form in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m), finishing a close second at massive odds. She was a $110,000 purchase at the 2017 Premier Sale and has earned more than $180,000 in prize-money. She will be ridden on Saturday by star Singapore-based Australian jockey Glen Boss. | Jim Pender | Glen Boss |
| 2 | Pinmedown | 12 | Pinmedown (NZ) (Pins) burst on the scene with a powerful finish to win the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at this track on Boxing Day. Since then, she has been doing her best work late when sixth in the Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) and ninth in the Karaka Million 3YO Classic. She cost just $28,000 at the 2017 Select Sale. | Michael Moroney & Pam Gerard | Jake Bayliss |
| 3 | Elate | 10 | Well-related Savabeel filly Elate (NZ) showed good ability earlier in the season with a stylish maiden win and a placing behind Queen of Diamonds (NZ) (Savabeel) in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1550m). She delivered on that potential with an excellent last-start victory in the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth. | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | Troy Harris |
| 4 | Sunny Rose | 6 | After a win and two placings in lower grades, Sunny Rose (NZ) (Tavistock) was thrown in at the deep end last start for the Group 2 Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic (2000m). She acquitted herself admirably, finding the line strongly for fourth and only 1.1 lengths from the winner. | Stephen Autridge | Andrew Calder |
| 5 | Pullyoursocksup | 9 | A full-sister to the Group 1 performer Prince Mambo (NZ) (Thewayyouare), promising filly Pullyoursocksup (NZ) (Thewayyouare) has had a win, three placings and two fourths in her seven starts to date. She was third in the Listed Uncle Remus Stakes (1400m) on Boxing Day and fourth in the Group 3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) on January 19. | Stephen McKee | Sam Spratt |
| 6 | Clementina | 3 | Clementina (NZ) (Savabeel) is still a maiden but has contested three black-type races, finishing fifth in the Royal Stakes, eighth in the Desert Gold Stakes and an eye-catching last-start second in the Oaks Prelude. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Jason Waddell |
| 7 | Rubira | 2 | A Listed winner last season in the Champagne Stakes (1600m), Rubira (Lope de Vega) performed solidly in stakes company in Melbourne in the spring and has had two starts in this preparation for two promising fifth placings. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Craig Grylls |
| 8 | Savy Yong Blonk | 8 | Savy Yong Blonk (NZ) (Savabeel) emerged in December with stylish back-to-back wins, then was promoted to stakes level. She has finished seventh in the Desert Gold Stakes and fifth in the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic, doing her best work late in the race on both occasions. | Jamie Richards | Opie Bosson |
| 9 | Kinshasa | 15 | Tavistock filly Kinshasa (NZ) has had four starts for a win, a second, a fourth and an unlucky last-start sixth at New Plymouth. | Cody Cole | Samantha Collett |
| 10 | Misha's Star | 7 | Misha's Star (NZ) (Echoes of Heaven) has shown promise in her four-start career, winning a maiden race at Avondale impressively and finishing fifth in the Oaks Prelude. | Mark Forbes | Michael McNab |
| 11 | Oratia | 4 | By Redoute's Choice out of the Group 1 performer Miss Maren (NZ) (Stravinsky), promising filly Oratia has had three starts. She finished sixth and fourth in her first two starts, then won at Avondale last time out. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Johnathan Parkes |
| 12 | Spring Delight | 14 | Spring Delight (NZ) (Tavistock) was an unlucky seventh on debut and hasn't been further back than third since then. She placed in four consecutive races, then won by almost three lengths at Avondale on February 20. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matt Cameron |
| 13 | Stilton | 1 | Consistent filly Stilton (NZ) (Savabeel) was close up in all of her first four starts, finishing second, fourth, fifth and sixth. She broke through for a deserved maiden win at Te Teko on January 28. She will be ridden by world-class Northern Irish jockey Pat Cosgrave, who won this season's Caulfield Cup. | Graham Richardson & Gavin Parker | Pat Cosgrave |
| 14 | Nasha Riva | 11 | Nasha Riva (NZ) (Shocking) finished third and first in her first two starts, then 10th in her other two appearances including the Sir Tristram Fillies' Classic. | Jim Pender | Lynsey Satherley |
| 15 | Bingwa | 13 | Bingwa (NZ) (Redwood) has been unplaced in all of her four starts to date. | Graeme Swann | Rowena Smyth |