The NZB Filly of the Year Series begins to take a different look with the sixth leg, the $270,000 Group Two Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes (2000m) at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day.
After five races over distances ranging from 1200 to 1600 metres, the Sir Patrick Hogan marks the first step up to 2000 metres. The winner will earn 8 points in the NZB Filly of the Year Series, with 4 for second and 2 for third.
Starting with the Sir Patrick Hogan, five of the remaining six legs of the Filly of the Year Series will be run over 2000 metres or more. That sequence will culminate with the grand finale, the $1m Group One New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 22.
That means the next few months could bring big changes on the points table, which is currently headed by Alabama Lass (Alabama Express) with 21 points. Group One New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) heroine Captured By Love (Written Tycoon) sits in second place on 15.
Victory in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) on Boxing Day put Hitabell (NZ) (Embellish) into third spot with 8 points, followed by Leica Lucy (NZ) (Derryn) on 6. Kitty Flash (NZ) (Ace High) and Sethito (NZ) (Super Seth) have 4 points each.
Movin’ Out (NZ) (Staphanos) has 3.5 points, which puts her just ahead of Connello (NZ) (Time Test) on 3. Love Poem (Snitzel) and Real Class (NZ) (Vadamos) have 2 points apiece, while Damask Rose (NZ) (Savabeel) and Skymax (NZ) (Ferrando) complete the table with 1.5 points each.
A promising field of 11 fillies will contest the Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes on New Year’s Day, but only two of them have NZB Filly of the Year Series points to their name already. Real Class earned her 2 points from a strong-finishing third in the Eight Carat Classic on Boxing Day, while Skymax finished third in the Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m) on December 21.
Two others in the line-up have been stakes-placed. Island Life (NZ) (Vadamos) was runner-up in the Group Three Wellington Stakes (1600m) at Otaki on November 28, and Macaluso (NZ) (Savabeel) was a third placegetter in the Listed Wellesley Stakes (1100m) last January.
Several of the other Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes contenders have been winners, including Crown Princess (NZ) (Embellish), who made a big impression with a four-length maiden romp at Rotorua on Saturday.
The Sir Patrick Hogan Stakes will be run as Race 7 at Ellerslie on New Year’s Day, with a scheduled start time of 3:37pm.
