The new year brings a new challenge for this season’s New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year contenders, who will stretch out beyond 1600 metres for the first time in Saturday’s sixth leg of the series – the $120,000 Group Two Valachi Downs Royal Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie.
The New Year’s Day feature has drawn a talented field, including three black type performers who have already picked up points through the first half of the 2021-22 NZB Filly of the Year Series.
The High Priestess (NZ) (Reliable Man) and Princess Lowry (NZ) (Roc De Cambes) earned 4 and 2 points respectively with their second and third placings in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day, while Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh) placed in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) earlier in the season and has 3 points to her name.
Another four fillies in the field are last-start winners including the Jamie Richards-trained Outfit (NZ) (Tivaci) and Self Obsession (NZ) (Shocking), and many others have shown bright promise in their short careers to date.
The winner of the Valachi Downs Royal Stakes will earn 8 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series, with 4 points for second and 2 for third.
The Valachi Downs Royal Stakes will be run as Race 5 on Saturday with a start time of 2.43pm.
