The NZB Filly of the Year Series begins to take a different look with the sixth leg, the $270,000 Gr.2 Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
After five races over distances ranging from 1200 to 1600 metres, the Sir Patrick Hogan marks the first step up to 2000 metres. The winner will earn 8 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series, with 4 for second and 2 for third.
Starting with the Sir Patrick Hogan, five of the remaining six legs of the Filly of the Year Series will be run over 2000 metres or more. That sequence will culminate with the grand finale, the $1m Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 22.
That means the next few months could bring big changes on the points table, which is currently headed by Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) with 21 points. Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) heroine Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) sits in second place on 15.
Victory in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day put Hitabell (NZ) (Embellish) into third spot with 8 points, followed by Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn) on 6. Kitty Flash (NZ) (Ace High) and Sethito (NZ) (Super Seth) have 4 points each.
Movin’ Out (NZ) (Staphanos) has 3.5 points, which puts her just ahead of Connello (NZ) (Time Test) on 3. Love Poem (Snitzel) and Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) have 2 points apiece, while Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) and Skymax (NZ) (Ferrando) complete the table with 1.5 points each.
A promising field of 11 fillies will contest the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes on New Year’s Day, but only two of them have NZB Filly of the Year Series points to their name already. Real Class earned her 2 points from a strong-finishing third in the Eight Carat Classic on Boxing Day, while Skymax finished third in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) on December 21.
Two others in the line-up have been stakes-placed. Island Life (NZ) (Vadamos) was runner-up in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki on November 28, and Macaluso (NZ) (Savabeel) was a third placegetter in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) last January.
Several of the other Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes contenders have been winners, including Crown Princess (NZ) (Embellish), who made a big impression with a four-length maiden romp at Rotorua on Saturday.
The Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes will be run as Race 7 at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, with a scheduled start time of 3:37pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Real Class | 6 | Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) earned top billing in this race with her performance in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day. Lining up for only the third start of her career and at $43 odds, she powered home from last to finish third behind Hitabell (NZ) (Embellish) and Sethito (NZ) (Super Seth). Real Class clocked the fastest times in the race for her last 800, 600 and 400 metres. | ||
| 2 | Myakkabelle | 11 | Brewers Bloodstock paid $55,000 at Karaka 2023 to buy Myakkabelle (NZ) (War Decree), who has so far had seven starts for two wins, three placings and $42,060 in stakes. She finished strongly for a close fifth in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day. Inglewood Stud will offer a Russian Revolution half-sister to Myakkabelle as Lot 131 in Book 1 of Karaka 2025. | Karaka 2023, Book 1 | Brewers Bloodstock, $55,000 |
| 3 | Island Life | 3 | Pencarrow Stud’s promising filly Island Life (NZ) (Vadamos) has done little wrong in her four-race career. She flew home for second over 1400 metres on debut, then stepped up to 1600 metres and scored a smart maiden win at Tauranga. Her first attempt at stakes level produced a close second in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m). She was a last-start fifth in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) after getting a long way back in the running. | ||
| 4 | Skymax | 1 | Skymax (NZ) (Ferrando) was a maiden winner at Rotorua in October and has followed that up with a series of creditable performances in the NZB Filly of the Year Series. She ran sixth in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) and Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), then stuck on strongly for third in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m). | ||
| 5 | Macaluso | 4 | Forsman Racing, Andrew Williams Bloodstock and Bevan Smith Bloodstock paid $600,000 to buy well-related filly Macaluso (NZ) (Savabeel) from Book 1 of Karaka 2023. She showed real promise as a two-year-old, finishing third in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) and fourth in the Listed Counties Challenge Stakes (1100m). She resumed with an outstanding first-up win at Trentham on December 7, then didn’t have much luck in the straight when sixth in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m). | Karaka 2023, Book 1 | Forsman Racing/Andrew Williams Bloodstock/Bevan Smith Bloodstock, $600,000 |
| 6 | Reggae Queen | 7 | An impressive come-from-behind maiden winner at Te Aroha in late November, Reggae Queen (Exceedance) produced an eye-catching late run from the back of the field to finish seventh in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) last week. | Karaka 2023, Book 1 | Psd, Res $100,000 |
| 7 | Bella Montagna | 10 | Bought for $25,000 from Book 2 of Karaka 2023, Bella Montagna (NZ) (Belardo) has had four starts for two strong-finishing second placings. She was also a close fourth in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki on November 28. | Karaka 2023, Book 2 | Archer Equine Investments Ltd, $25,000 |
| 8 | Moschino | 2 | Moschino (NZ) (Ten Sovereigns) has put together a consistent formline through her five-start career, never finishing further back than fourth. She ran third on debut in September, followed by another two third placings at Pukekohe and Ellerslie. Fourth at Te Rapa in her next start, she bounced back at Ellerslie on December 12 with a second placing in a tight photo finish. | ||
| 9 | The Trendsetter | 9 | The Oaks Stud’s The Trendsetter (NZ) (Proisir) has been steadily improving as distances increase. She finished 10th, sixth and sixth in her first three races, then stepped up to 1600 metres for a last-start second to Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) at Te Aroha. | ||
| 10 | Ballistic Miss | 5 | Ballistic Miss (NZ) (Charm Spirit) is still a maiden but has shown promise, producing her best work late in her races over 1400 to 1600 metres. The step up to 2000 metres looks likely to suit, being out of a half-sister to the dam of Melbourne Cup (3200m) winner Vow And Declare (Declaration Of War). Ballistic Miss is part-owned by her breeders Windsor Park Stud, who will offer a half-sister by Noverre (NZ) as Lot 475 in Book 1 of Karaka 2025. | ||
| 11 | Crown Princess | 8 | Te Akau Racing’s Crown Princess (NZ) (Embellish) has shaken this race up significantly since the field was finalised on Saturday morning. She lined up for a maiden race over 1560 metres that afternoon and scored a stunning victory by four and a half lengths. This is a significant step up in class and distance on a quick turnaround. Crown Princess could complete a remarkable double for the week for Cambridge Stud stallion Embellish (NZ), who sired the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) winner Hitabell (NZ) on Boxing Day. |
