The 2018-19 NZB Filly of the Year Series goes up to Group 1 level for the first time on Saturday with the second leg, the $300,000 gavelhouse.com 46th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton.
A shake-up of the leaderboard is guaranteed, with 12 points available to the winner and the early leaderAvantage(Fastnet Rock) bypassing the race.
Xpression(NZ) (Showcasing), who is second on the table with 3 points, has won three of her five starts including the Group 2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1200m) and a last-start victory in the Group 3 Barneswood Farm Stakes (1400m).
Melt(NZ) (Iffraaj) won the Group 3 Northland Breeders' Stakes (1200m) earlier this season, then ran second to the subsequent Group 1 winner Madison County (NZ) (Pins) in the Group 2 Hawke's Bay Guineas (1400m).
Media Sensation(I Am Invincible) was an impressive last-start winner of the Group 3 Soliloquy Stakes (1400m), while four others in the field are black-type winners or placegetters.
In addition to the 12 points for the winner, the runner-up in the gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas will receive 7 points and the third placegetter 3.5 points.
The gavelhouse.com 46th New Zealand 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 7 on Saturday with a start time of 3.10pm.
NZB Release
