This season’s New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series moves into the northern region for the first time on Saturday, and the stage is set for a spectacular showdown in the $85,000 Group Three Super Seth Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Te Rapa.
The Soliloquy Stakes is the second of 11 races in the Filly of the Year Series, which began with a big win by Best Seller (NZ) (Wrote) in last month's Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings and runs all the way through to the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 18.
Best Seller tops the table with 6 points, backed up by Gold Trail placegetters Sans Doute (Not A Single Doubt) and Mazzolino (NZ) (Savabeel) on 3 and 1.5 points respectively.
Mazzolino is the only one of that trio to return for Saturday's Soliloquy, giving her an opportunity to take an outright lead on the Filly of the Year Series standings.
But it will be far from an easy task, coming up against half a dozen last-start winners including a pair of undefeated Proisir fillies – Legarto (NZ) and Prowess (NZ).
Both boasting a flawless two-from-two record, Legarto and Prowess are currently the two favourites for next month's Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
The chances don't end there, with Taranaki raider Rocababy (NZ) (El Roca) already a Listed winner this season, while Miss Nico Belle (Nicconi), Romancing The Moon (NZ) (El Roca) and Val Di Zoldo (NZ) (War Decree) have all been stakes-placed.
Like in last month's Gold Trail Stakes, the Soliloquy Stakes winner will pick up 6 points in the Filly of the Year Series race, with 3 points for second and 1.5 for third.
The Super Seth Soliloquy Stakes will be run as Race 5 at Te Rapa on Saturday, with a start time of 2.41pm.
| # | HORSE | DRAW | COMMENTS | SALE | PURCHASER | TRAINER | JOCKEY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rocababy | 2 | El Roca filly Rocababy (NZ) has made outstanding progress since kicking off her career with a ninth on debut in the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) in June. She finished second in her next appearance, followed by two impressive wins including the Listed O'Learys Fillies' Stakes (1200m) at Wanganui. | Anna Clement | Ashvin Mudhoo | ||
| 2 | Legarto | 12 | The current favourite for next month's Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton, Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) has had two starts for two impressive wins. She scored by three and a quarter lengths on debut at Matamata in June, then kicked off her three-year-old season with a bold finish to win at this track on September 30. | Karaka 2021, Book 2 | Ancroft Stud, $90,000 | Ken & Bev Kelso | Ryan Elliot |
| 3 | Prowess | 5 | Another highly rated filly bringing a perfect two-from-two record into the Soliloquy is Prowess (NZ) (Proisir), trained by Roger James and Robert Wellwood at Cambridge. Prowess was a dazzling debut winner at Wanganui in April, beating the talented runner-up Duncan Creek (NZ) (Super Easy) by nine lengths. Her only other start came at Cambridge on September 14, where she overcame traffic trouble for another smart win. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | RA James & R Wellwood, $230,000 | Roger James & Robert Wellwood | Vinnie Colgan |
| 4 | Flamebird | 8 | Bred and raced by Cambridge Stud owners Brendan and Jo Lindsay, Flamebird (NZ) (Shooting To Win) fought solidly for second in a 970-metre debut appearance at Cambridge on September 14. She took a big step forward in her second start at Ruakaka on October 5, finishing strongly to win over 1100 metres. She is a half-sister to the Group One performer Hiflyer (NZ) (Tavistock) | Lance Noble | Ashvin Goindasamy | ||
| 5 | Mazzolino | 14 | A full-sister to multiple black-type winner Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel), promising Waikato Stud homebred Mazzolino (NZ) (Savabeel) hasn't put a foot wrong in her career. She placed in all of her first three starts, including the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1200m), and capped that consistent form with a dominant last-start maiden win at this track. She is the only runner in this field with NZB Filly of the Year Series points to her name, earning 1.5 points from her third placing in the Gold Trail. | Stephen Marsh | Craig Grylls | ||
| 6 | Miss Nico Belle | 10 | Miss Nico Belle (Nicconi) was a placegetter in all of her first three raceday appearances, including the Listed Castletown Stakes (1200m) at Waverley in early June. A couple of unplaced runs followed, but she bounced back with a hard-fought maiden victory at Ruakaka on October 5. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | Brewers Bloodstock, $90,000 | Stephen Marsh | Wiremu Pinn |
| 7 | Rionach | 1 | Darci Brahma filly Rionach (NZ) announced herself as a filly to follow with a flying finish to win on debut at Avondale in late April. She made her three-year-old debut at Te Rapa on September 18, catching the eye with a late finish for sixth over 1200 metres. In her only start since then, she lost a plate during the running but still finished only three lengths from the winner when fourth at Matamata on October 8. | Peter & Dawn Williams | Warren Kennedy | ||
| 8 | Romancing The Moon | 3 | A daughter of Group Two winner and Group One-placed Underthemoonlight (NZ) (El Hermano), El Roca filly Romancing The Moon (NZ) was bought for just $50,000 at Karaka 2021 by Te Akau Racing's David Ellis. She ran second in the Listed O'Learys Fillies' Stakes (1200m) in only her second career start, and in her most recent appearance she bolted home by three and a half lengths in a Matamata maiden on October 8. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | DC Ellis, $50,000 | Mark Walker | Michael McNab |
| 9 | Stella Splendida | 11 | Blue-blooded Zoustar filly Stella Splendida (NZ) was the sale-topper in Book 1 of Karaka 2021, knocked down to David Ellis for $800,000. She lived up to the price tag with a super-impressive debut win at Taupo on September 16, and she was third at Matamata in her only other start. Stable rider Opie Bosson has chosen her as the pick of Mark Walker's runners in this race. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | DC Ellis, $800,000 | Mark Walker | Opie Bosson |
| 10 | Val Di Zoldo | 13 | Although she is still a maiden, Val Di Zoldo (NZ) (War Decree) has proven herself at this level with a second placing behind top filly Maven Belle (NZ) (Burgundy) in the Group Three 2YO Classic (1200m) at this track in February. Previously raced by her breeder Kevin Hickman, she was a $285,000 purchase in the Valachi Downs Dispersal Sale on Gavelhouse Plus in July. | Tony Pike | Sam Spratt | ||
| 11 | Academy Award | 7 | Bought by Stephen Marsh and Dennis Foster for $180,000 at Karaka 2021, Academy Award (NZ) (Star Turn) has had six starts for three seconds, two thirds and a fourth. Her only time outside the top three was her fourth placing in the Listed Waikato Equine Veterinary Centre Stakes (1200m) in May. | Karaka 2021, Book 1 | SB Marsh & Dennis Foster, $180,000 | Stephen Marsh | |
| 12 | Shez Class | 9 | Bought for $23,000 from the 2020 National Weanling Sale, Shez Class (NZ) (Vadamos) has shown real promise in her three-start career to date. Along with two third placings, she was a strong-finishing fourth in the Listed Auckland Futurity Stakes (1400m) in May. | 2020 National Weanling Sale | Cypress Point Farms, $23,000 | Jenna Mahoney | Masa Hashizume |
| 13 | Nancho Girl | 4 | Nancho Girl (NZ) (Darci Brahma) was thrown in at the deep end on debut, acquitting herself extremely well for a close fourth at Ruakaka behind stakes-performed pair Sacred Satono (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Desert Lightning (NZ) (Pride Of Dubai). Her only other start was at Avondale on October 12, racing four wide without cover all the way and finishing a close fifth. | Lauren Brennan | Dylan Turner | ||
| 14 | Manzoratti | 6 | Manzoratti (NZ) (Almanzor) has yet to place from two starts to date, but hasn't had all favours in the running. She was a $28,000 purchase by Te Keeti Bloodstock from the 2020 National Weanling Sale. | 2020 National Weanling Sale | Te Keeti Bloodstock, $28,000 | Lou Te Keeti | Trudy Thornton |
