New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series will break new ground this week with the running of the eighth leg, the G3 Little Avondale Lowland Stakes at Hastings on Wednesday.

It will be the first time that a Filly of the Year Series race has been contested during a midweek twilight meeting.

The Lowland Stakes, formerly run on a Saturday, has been moved to avoid clashing with BMW Derby Day at Ellerslie.

The move has been enthusiastically welcomed. It frees up the country’s leading jockeys and trainers to be on hand as some of the top three-year-old fillies build towards the G1 New Zealand Oaks at Trentham on March 19.

As a result, a bumper field of 18 fillies has entered for this year’s race.

Heading the field is Sofia Rosa (Makfi), a $65,000 graduate of the 2014 Select Sale at Karaka.

She currently sits in fourth place on the Filly of the Year Series leaderboard with eight points.

She was a breath-taking last-start winner of the G2 Royal Stakes at Ellerslie, regaining her footing and momentum after being knocked sideways and almost falling at the home turn.

The field also includes G1 NZB 1000 Guineas runner-up Strada Cavallo (Alamosa) and last-start Listed Oaks Prelude winner Sewreel (Savabeel).

The winner of the $70,000 Lowland Stakes will earn 6 Series points, with second place earning 3 points and third 1.5 points.