A week after the NZB Filly of the Year Series roared to life with the Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) in the North Island, the spotlight shifts south with the launch of the prestigious NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series.
Saturday’s $80,000 Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton is the first leg of the four-race southern series, which runs alongside its North Island equivalent. NZB strongly supports fillies racing in New Zealand through sponsorship of both series, in which the country's three-year-old fillies battle it out for the coveted titles.
Each race in the Southern Filly Series is worth 7 points for the winner, 4 points for second and 2 for third. At the conclusion of the series, the connections of the table-topping filly will receive an insurance policy from NZB Insurance to the value of $50,000 + GST. They will also be presented with the NZB Southern Filly of the Year trophy during the South Island Racing Awards.
Previous winners of the Southern Filly Series include the subsequent multiple Group One winners Final Touch (NZ) (Kashani) and Atishu (NZ) (Savabeel).
A talented line-up of fillies will attempt to begin to follow in those illustrious footsteps with crucial early Southern Filly points in Saturday’s Canterbury Belle Stakes.
The field features no fewer than seven winners, including last season’s Group Two winner Intention (NZ) (Bivouac) and unbeaten Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m) winner Bona Sforza (Written By).
Miss Ziggy (NZ) (Brazen Beau) made her mark on one of New Zealand two-year-old racing’s biggest stages last season with a close third in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) at Ellerslie.
Five-time Canterbury Belle winners Te Akau Racing hold another strong hand including Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel), who has won four of her six starts, and impressive recent lead-up winner Belle Du Monde (Zoustar).
The NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes will be run as Race 7 at Riccarton on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 3.58pm.
