After impressive auditions throughout the spring from numerous New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series contenders, Saturday’s $300,000 Group 1 gavelhouse.com 47th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton is one filly’s time to shine.
The prestigious classic is the second leg of the 2019-20 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, and it is worth 12 points to the winner – moving them a big step closer to the coveted title. Saturday’s second and third placegetters will earn 7 and 3.5 points respectively.
The first leg of the Series was the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings back in September, where two of last season’s stars excelled. Aretha (NZ) (Charm Spirit) and Bavella (Snitzel), who had both won stakes races as two-year-olds, fought out a heart-stopping finish.
Aretha’s narrow victory put her at the top of the table with 6 points heading into Saturday’s Guineas, while Bavella has 3 and Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) has 1.5.
But in the eight weeks since the Gold Trail Stakes, a flurry of new fillies have come to the fore.
Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca) is undefeated in three impressive starts, culminating in last month’s Group 3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie.
Kali (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who was unlucky in the Gold Trail Stakes, has won all of her other three including the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton.
Bella Mente (NZ) (El Roca), Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) and Karalino (NZ) (Zacinto) have all placed at Group level in their most recent appearances, while All About Magic (NZ) (Showcasing) is a proven black-type performer and Avadane (NZ) (Savabeel) and Birdsong (NZ) (Snitzel) were impressive last-start winners in lower grades.
The gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 7 on Saturday with a start time of 3:10pm.
| # | Horse | Draw | Comments | Trainer | Jockey |
| 1 | Aretha | 2 | Aretha (NZ) (Charm Spirit) was a Group 2 winner and multiple Group 1 placegetter last season. She won the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings in September to take an early NZB Filly of the Year Series lead, then was swamped in the final strides when unplaced in the Group 3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie last start. | Murray Baker & Andrew Forsman | Matthew Cameron |
| 2 | Travelling Light | 9 | Undefeated in three starts, Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca) has made a huge impression this spring. She won on debut at Taupo on September 20, then romped by more than six lengths at Matamata in early October – beating the subsequent Group 2 winner and Group 1-placed Harlech (NZ) (Darci Brahma). In her most recent start, she overcame an interrupted run for a brilliant Soliloquy Stakes victory. | Ben Foote | Samantha Collett |
| 3 | Bavella | 4 | Snitzel filly Bavella was a Listed winner as a two-year-old and has finished a close second in both of her starts this season – a nose behind Aretha in the Gold Trail Stakes, and a half-head behind Travelling Light in the Soliloquy Stakes. | Lance Noble | Leith Innes |
| 4 | Kali | 12 | Kali (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was an unlucky seventh in the Gold Trail Stakes, blocked for most of the straight and never fully extended. She has won all of her other three, including an impressive last-start victory in the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m) at Ashburton. | Tony Pike | Troy Harris |
| 5 | Bella Mente | 14 | She may have only one win to her name from seven starts, but Bella Mente (NZ) (El Roca) finished third in last season’s Group 1 Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) and was a last-start placegetter in the Group 2 Sarten Memorial (1400m). | Shaune Ritchie | Jason Waddell |
| 6 | All About Magic | 3 | Showcasing filly All About Magic (NZ) won the Listed Champagne Stakes (1200m) at this track last season. She has been a dual stakes placegetter this spring in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) and the Group 3 War Decree Stakes (1600m). She ran in last Saturday’s Group 1 New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m), finishing a close eighth. | Michael & Matthew Pitman | Lisa Allpress |
| 7 | Jennifer Eccles | 11 | Maiden filly Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) has never finished back than fourth in her five-start career to date. She was third in the Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) as a two-year-old, and this season she has run fourth in the Gold Trail Stakes and Soliloquy Stakes. | Shaune Ritchie | Sam Weatherley |
| 8 | Flaunting | 7 | Flaunting (NZ) (Showcasing) was a black-type winner last season in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) and finished a close fourth in the Soliloquy Stakes in her most recent start. | David Greene | Sam Spratt |
| 9 | Karalino | 6 | After making a big impression with a four-length win at this track in early October, Karalino (NZ) (Zacinto) stepped up to stakes level last start and produced a strong finish for second behind Kali in the Barneswood Farm Stakes. | Stephen Autridge | Jason Laking |
| 10 | Riva Capri | 15 | Riva Capri (NZ) (Atlante) won the Listed O’Learys Fillies’ Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui in early September, then was unlucky in the Gold Trail Stakes. In her only start since then, she finished fourth in last month’s Group 2 Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m). | Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen | Craig Grylls |
| 11 | Avadane | 5 | Fourth in the Auckland Futurity Stakes last season, Avadane (NZ) (Savabeel) has raced in lower grades through her build-up to this race. After suffering cardiac arrhythmia when unplaced first-up in late September, she finished third at Avondale on October 18. Her most recent start was an impressive win at Pukekohe. | Lance Noble | Rosie Myers |
| 12 | Loire | 8 | Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) produced eye-catching late finishes to run third in the Listed El Roca-Sir Colin Meads Trophy (1200m) and the Gold Trail Stakes. She had an excuse for her unplaced finish in the Soliloquy Stakes in her last start. | Tony Pike | Michael McNab |
| 13 | Hot Tap | 13 | Southland filly Hot Tap (NZ) (Proisir) has been at long odds in both of her last two starts, but has performed well on both occasions. She was a late-finishing fifth in the Barneswood Farm Stakes, then made a big late run for fifth in the War Decree Stakes after struggling to find room for the first half of the straight. | Kerry & Ian Taplin | Robert Hannam |
| 14 | Far Site | 16 | After a good fourth in the Barneswood Farm Stakes, Makfi filly Far Site (NZ) was disappointing in beating just one runner home in the War Decree Stakes last time out. | Neill Ridley | Lee Callaway |
| 15 | Bronte Beach | 10 | Talented filly Bronte Beach (NZ) (Reliable Man) was a memorable maiden winner at Hastings last April, almost falling in the straight but recovering to win easily. This spring she has finished ninth in the Canterbury Belle Stakes, seventh in the Barneswood Farm Stakes and sixth in the War Decree Stakes. | Stephen Autridge | Chris Johnson |
| 16 | Can I Get An Amen | 1 | The least experienced filly in the field, Can I Get An Amen (NZ) (Hallowed Crown) has had two starts for two second placings in maiden grade. | Guy Lowry & Grant Cullen | Ryan Elliot |
Photo of last year’s winner Media Sensation – Race Images.
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