Some of the best fillies seen on New Zealand racetracks so far this season will meet in Saturday’s $600,000 Group One Barneswood Farm 53rd New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton – a race that has previously been won by 22 subsequent NZB Filly of the Year champions.
The prestigious Christchurch classic is one of only two Group One races in the series and is worth a potentially decisive 12 points for the winner, with 7 points for second and 3.5 for third.
Victory in the 1000 Guineas has been a stepping stone to Filly of the Year glory for Tang (NZ) (Taipan), Noble Heights (NZ) (Sir Tristram), Our Flight (NZ) (Imperial Guard), Burletta (NZ) (Three Legs), Olga’s Pal (NZ) (Straight Strike), Phillipa Rush (NZ) (Prince Echo), Plume (NZ) (Crested Wave), Nimue (Star Way), Snap (NZ) (Kingdom Bay), Tartan Tights (NZ) (Tights), Tycoon Lil (Last Tycoon), Taatletail (NZ) (Faltaat), Justa Tad (NZ) (Istidaad), Insouciant (NZ) (Keeper), Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), Katie Lee (Pins), King’s Rose (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice), Planet Rock (Fastnet Rock), Platinum Witness (California Dane), Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) and Molly Bloom (NZ) (Ace High).
The 2025 edition of the 1000 Guineas is the fourth leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series. The top spot in the points table currently belongs to Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca), who has contested all of the first three legs and has amassed 9 points. She won the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), then ran second in the Group Three Sunline Vase (1400m) and a strong-finishing fifth in the Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).
That Soliloquy Stakes unveiled a budding star of her generation as the unbeaten Well Written (Written Tycoon) blew her rivals away by six and three-quarter lengths in only the second start of her career. She has won those two races by a combined margin of just under 10 lengths, and she sits in equal second on the NZB Filly of the Year Series points table with 8 points. She shares that position with Sunline Vase winner and Soliloquy Stakes third placegetter Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma), who is being saved to take on the boys in next weekend’s Group One New Zealand 2000 Guineas (1600m).
The only other runner in the 1000 Guineas field with NZB Filly of the Year Series points to her name is Little Black Dress (NZ) (Snitzel), who has earned 5.5 points from finishing second in the Soliloquy Stakes and third in the Sunline Vase.
But there is plenty of other quality among the 12-filly field for this year’s 1000 Guineas. Cool Aza Rene (Cool Aza Beel), Miss Starlight (NZ) (Sweynesse), Bona Sforza (Written By) and Origin Of Love (Snitzel) are all stakes winners, while Miss Ziggy (NZ) (Brazen Beau) placed in the $1m TAB Karaka Millions 2YO (1200m) in January. Cream Tart (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) and Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel) both come into the biggest test of their career on the back of highly impressive victories in lower grades.
The Barneswood Farm 53rd New Zealand 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 10 on an 11-race card at Riccarton on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 4.41pm.
