Ellerslie's famous Boxing Day races will feature the fourth leg of the NZB Filly of the Year Series , the $100,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m), with a field headlined by the Series front-runner Media Sensation (I Am Invincible).
The Peter and Dawn Williams-trained filly won last month's Group 1 Gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m), earning 12 points and taking a clear lead on the Filly of the Year Series points table. The Eight Carat Classic will be her first start since that Riccarton victory.
Valalie(Snitzel) is in second place on the table with 7 points, withXpression(NZ) (Showcasing) third on 6.5.Queen of Diamonds(NZ) (Savabeel) andAvantage(Fastnet Rock) are in equal fourth position with 6.
The Eight Carat Classic is worth 8 points in the Filly of the Year Series, and Queen of Diamonds is the only one opposing Media Sensation at Ellerslie who could be within striking distance. Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman, she was a dominant last-start winner of the Group 3 LawnMaster Eulogy Stakes (1550m).
Her stablemateEspresso Martini(NZ) (High Chaparral) is also a last-start stakes winner, having taken out the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m) at Ellerslie earlier this month.
The runner-up in the Eight Carat Classic will earn 4 points, with 3 points for third.
The Eight Carat Classic will be run as Race 6 on Boxing Day with a start time of 3:27pm.
