Two of the top three fillies on the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series points table are set to clash in Saturday’s eighth leg, and both come from a stable inextricably linked to this Te Rapa feature.
The $110,000 Group Two David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic (2000m) is now sponsored in perpetuity by Te Akau Racing’s David Ellis and Karyn Fenton-Ellis – both former chairs of the Waikato Racing Club.
Te Akau Racing and trainer Jamie Richards scored a fitting Fillies’ Classic victory 12 months ago with Filly of the Year Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel), and they return on Saturday with two shots at a repeat result.
Both Belle En Rouge (NZ) (Burgundy) and Self Obsession (NZ) (Shocking) head into Saturday’s race as last-start Group Two winners – Belle En Rouge in the Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day, and Self Obsession in the Royal Stakes (2000m) a week later.
Belle En Rouge tops the Filly of the Year table with 19 points, courtesy of victories in the Eight Carat and Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m), plus placings in the Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) and Group Three Soliloquy Stakes (1400m). Self Obsession earned 8 points through her Royal Stakes success.
With 8 points available to the winner, the Fillies’ Classic gives Belle En Rouge the opportunity to extend her Filly of the Year Series lead if she can continue her winning streak – or Self Obsession could narrow the gap by upstaging her stablemate.
Outside of the top two, Saturday’s field also features three other fillies who already have Filly of the Year Series points to their name.
Princess Lowry (NZ) (Roc De Cambes) has picked up 6 points through placings in the Eight Carat Classic and Royal Stakes, while Achieve (NZ) (Pierro) and Mustang Valley (NZ) (Vanbrugh) earned 3 points apiece with their runner-up finishes in the Eulogy Stakes and Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) respectively.
Glory Bound (NZ) (Tavistock) and Canadian Girl (NZ) (Vancouver) have made an impression with recent performances in lower grades, while maiden filly Third Time Round (NZ) (Tivaci) was a last-start fourth in the Group Three Desert Gold Stakes (1600m).
The David & Karyn Ellis Fillies’ Classic will be run as Race 6 at Te Rapa on Saturday, with a start time of 3.25pm.
