New Zealand Bloodstock's 2017-18 Filly of the Year Series heads to the northern half of New Zealand's North Island for the first time with the $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.
The race is the fourth leg of the Series, and it will be followed six days later by the $100,000 Group 2 Royal Stakes (2000m) at the same venue.
The Eight Carat Classic may be missing the current Series leader,Dijon Bleu(NZ) (Burgundy), but it is a field stacked with quality. All but one of the 12 runners are winners.
Hasahalo(NZ) (Savabeel) was a dominant winner of the Group 1 gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton at her last start. That earned her 12 points and second place on the table. She is a previous winner at Ellerslie, taking out last season's Group 3 Eclipse Stakes (1200m).
Hasahalo currently trails Dijon Bleu by 4 points and and an Eight Carat victory on Boxing Day would give her the lead.
Among those standing in her way isSpring Heat(More Than Ready), who made an enormous impression when she won the Group 3 Bonecrusher Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie on her black-type debut earlier this month.
Race rivalsPrincess Rihanna(NZ) (Showcasing) andContessa Vanessa(NZ) (Bullbars) are on the Filly of the Year Series table with 1.5 points each. The fillies finished third in the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) and Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1600m) respectively.
Kapoor(NZ) (Reliable Man) andTrail Blazer(NZ) (Roc de Cambes) have also been stakes-placed this season.
The winner of the Eight Carat Classic will earn 8 points, with 4 points for second and 2 for third.
The Eight Carat Classic will be run as Race 8 with a start time of 4.48pm.
