With the Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) moving five weeks earlier to February this year, summer races over 2000 metres have taken on greater importance in the NZB Filly of the Year Series – starting with the $270,000 Group Two Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
The Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes is the seventh leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series and will be the first one run over a distance longer than 1600 metres.
It carries 8 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series for its winner, with 4 for second and 2 for third. The same amounts of points will be available for two subsequent Oaks lead-ups – the $175,000 Group Two Jennian Homes Lowland Stakes (2100m) at Trentham on January 31, and the $270,000 Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) at Te Rapa on February 7.
The grand finale of the NZB Filly of the Year Series, the $1m Group One Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m), will this year be run at Ellerslie on February 21 and is worth 12 points for first, 7 for second and 3.5 for third.
The field for the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes has one filly with NZB Filly of the Year Series points to her name already – Origin Of Love (Snitzel), who sits in equal eighth place with 3 points after finishing second in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) at Trentham on December 20. Origin Of Love had previously won the Group Three War Decree Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.
Pulsatilla (NZ) (Redwood) is the other black-type winner in the line-up, having taken out the Listed Trevor & Corallie Eagle Memorial (1500m) at Ellerslie two starts ago on November 29.
The NZB Filly of the Year Series points table is headed by equal leaders Well Written (Written Tycoon) and Lollapalooza (NZ) (El Roca) on 20 points each. Tellum (NZ) (Ocean Park) and Tajana (NZ) (Darci Brahma) are next with 8 points each, followed by War Princess (NZ) (U S Navy Flag) with 6, Little Black Dress (Snitzel) with 5.5, Belle Cheval (NZ) (Savabeel) with 3.5, Origin Of Love and In Haste (Snitzel) with 3, Fleeting Star (Cool Aza Beel) with 2, and Capaci (NZ) (Tivaci) and Queen’s Evidence (NZ) (King’s Legacy) with 1.5 points each.
The Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes will be run as Race 7 at Ellerslie on Thursday, with a scheduled start time of 4.05pm.
