Trentham Makes Early Appearance in NZB Filly of the Year Series

Wellington’s famous Trentham Racecourse is playing an increased role in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series this season, starting this weekend with the running of the fourth leg – the $100,000 Group Three LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1600m).

The Eulogy Stakes is traditionally staged at Awapuni, but that Palmerston North venue is closed for a year-long redevelopment. This Saturday’s race will instead be run at Trentham, which also hosts the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) in January along with the grand finale, the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) in March.

An intriguing clash looms in this Saturday’s Eulogy, whose winner will earn 6 points in the Filly of the Year Series. A second placing is worth 3 points, with 1.5 for third.

Chantilly Lace (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) is the only runner in the 14-horse field who already has points to her name, having earned three points with a runner-up finish in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings in September. That puts her in sixth spot on the table, which is headed by Impendabelle (Impending) on 15 and Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) on 12. Chantilly Lace has a chance to close the gap on that pair when she heads to Trentham on Saturday.

For every other filly in the Eulogy Stakes line-up, this is the chance to collect points for the first time in the series. The field is stacked with potential, with the lightly raced Race Ace (NZ) (Swiss Ace) already being stakes-placed while 10 others have won races this spring.

The LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes will be run as Race 7 at Trentham on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 4.45pm.