Filly Series Ends In A Tie

Saturday’s $400,000 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham was the final leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series and was expected to be a tie-breaker - but in the end left two fillies to share the top award.

Imelda Mary (Ferlax) and Queen Of Diamonds (Savabeel) had been the strong performers through the series and going into the Oaks they shared the lead with 18 points each.

But neither could add to their score with a top-three finish at Trentham.

The Oaks was taken out by Sentimental Miss, a Reliable Man filly who had 4 points to her name courtesy of a placing in the G2 Sir Tristram Fillies’ Classic earlier in the season.

Her win in the Oaks moved her to 16 points and a third place finish on the final table.

Sentimental Miss won her maiden at Otaki and was also placed behind subsequent New Zealand Derby winner Crown Prosecutor in the G3 Wellington Stakes in the run up to the Oaks.

Trained by Lisa Latta Sentimental Miss (Reliable Man x Nostalgic by Quest For Fame) was a $40,000 purchase from The Oaks Stud’s draft at the 2017 NZB Select Sale at Karaka.

Raced by a Go Racing syndicate, she has now had 11 starts for two wins, four placings and $NZ273,625 in prizemoney.

Sentimental Miss, a half-sister to six winners, is the first G1 winner by the imported Reliable Man, a G1 winner of the Prix du Jockey Club in France and the G1 Queen Elizabeth Stakes at Randwick.

He stood at Westbury Stud in NZ in 2018 and is now serving at Haras d'Annebault in France. He is the sire of 79 winners including seven at stakes level.

Her dam Nostalgic is a sister to the triple G1 winner Dracula from the family of the G1 winner Complacent (Authorized) and Lucky Unicorn (Redoute’s Choice), sire of the G1 Auckland Cup winner Rock Diva. Nostalgic produced a filly by Niagara in 2017 and a colt by Pins last year. She was served by Puccini last season.