Saturday’s $175,000 Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa is the eighth leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series for 2023-24, and top-of-the-table filly Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High) is back to try to add to her imposing lead.
With seven of the 11 legs run and won, Molly Bloom dominates the leaderboard with 20 points, which she earned with sparkling victories in legs three and five – the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m).
Molly Bloom later took a break from the Filly of the Year Series to contest last month’s $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) at Ellerslie, in which she finished an unlucky seventh. But she rejoins the Filly of the Year points hunt in Saturday’s Group Two feature, which is worth 8 points to the winner, 4 for second and 2 for third.
Molly Bloom currently holds a five-point lead over Impendabelle (Impending), who has earned 15 points but is not contesting the Fillies’ Classic on Saturday. The nearest challenger in this week’s line-up is Still Bangon (NZ) (Satono Aladdin), who has earned 10 points from her victory in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) and second placing in the Group Two Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2050m).
The other fillies in the field who have points to their name are About Time (NZ) (American Pharoah) and Mary Shan (NZ) (Almanzor) with 8 each, Sudbina (NZ) (Almanzor) with 6, Tulsi (The Autumn Sun) with 5.5, Grail Seeker (NZ) (Iffraaj) with 5, Livid Sky (NZ) (Proisir) with 2 and The Entertainer (NZ) (Staphanos) with 1.5.
The David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic will be run as Race 4 on Te Rapa’s eagerly anticipated Legends Day card on Saturday afternoon, with a scheduled start time of 2.10pm. Later in the day, last season’s New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year winner Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) is set to start as a commanding favourite in the $600,000 Group One Herbie Dyke Stakes (2000m).
