With an outstanding performance in Saturday’s $100,000 Group Three New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham, talented filly Mazzolino (NZ) (Savabeel) made a significant move up the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series points table.
Before Saturday's seventh leg of the series, Mazzolino (NZ) (Savabeel) sat in 13th place on the standings with 1.5 points, courtesy of her third placing in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) back in September. But now she has swiftly moved up to fourth spot with 7.5 points.
Ridden by Sam Weatherley, Mazzolino slid forward out of the starting gate and settled widest of all among a bunched-up pack of chasers behind the front-running Academy Award (NZ) (Star Turn).
Mazzolino cruised forward with ease approaching the home turn, and she kicked away powerfully to take control in the long Trentham straight. Pennyweka (NZ) (Satono Aladdin) and Beyond Violet (NZ) (Reliable Man) chased hard in the last 200 metres, but Mazzolino kept herself out of their reach and won by a length and a quarter.
"I couldn't go any slower and I had a handful of her the whole way," Weatherley said. "When she saw the crowd at the 100-metre mark, she pricked her ears – she was doing it that easily. She was in the zone today, and she tries her heart out. Getting her back on better ground will also help her. She is quite a good filly."
Bred and raced by Waikato Stud, Mazzolino is a full-sister to Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel), who has won seven races and almost A$800,000, headed by the Group Two Matriarch Stakes (2000m) at Flemington in November.
"They breed them tough – any conditions and any day," said Rhys Mildon, stable foreman for Cambridge trainer Stephen Marsh. "That's a treble for the stud today, and it's great to be a part of it.
"Stephen trained the sister, and we know how tough she is. They have similar racing styles in that they just put their head out and go and are just so tough.
"It was a confident ride by Sam, and she just took over and dominated. She was never in doubt. I think the further she goes, the better she will get."
Now the only fillies ahead of Mazzolino on the points table are Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) with 26, Polygon (NZ) (Highly Recommended) with 14 and Best Seller (NZ) (Wrote) with 13.
Saturday's Desert Gold Stakes placegetters Pennyweka and Beyond Violet each collected their first Filly of the Year Series points, earning 3 points and 1.5 points respectively.
The next stop on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series itinerary is at Te Rapa on February 11 with the running of the $140,000 Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m).
