Talented Field for Ninth Leg of NZB Filly of the Year Series

Media Release - Thursday February 28

Just three days after an exciting Lowland Stakes at Hastings, the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series action continues thick and fast with the ninth leg, the $70,000 Group 3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie on Saturday.

Queen of Diamonds - Peter Rubery Race ImagesFollowing the Lowland Stakes,Queen of Diamonds(NZ) (Savabeel) and Imelda Mary(NZ) (Ferlax) are the equal Series leaders with 18 points each.

No runners in Saturday's Sunline Vase field are currently within striking range of that pair, but they are building towards the final leg, the $400,000 Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham. That race is worth 12 points to the winner, setting up a potential "winner takes all" scenario.

Two runners in the Sunline Vase field already have Filly of the Year Series points to their name.

Pinmedown(NZ) (Pins) has 8 points, courtesy of her win in the Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day.

Advertisement

Elate(NZ) (Savabeel) finished second to Queen of Diamonds in the Group 3 Eulogy Stakes (1550m), earning 3 points. She has subsequently won the Listed Oaks Prelude (1800m) at New Plymouth.

The Real Beel(NZ) (Savabeel) produced a remarkable performance at Ellerslie on Karaka Million night, defying 160-to-one odds for a close second in the $1m Karaka Million 3YO Classic (1600m).

The McKee Family Sunline Vase will be run as Race 6 on Saturday with a start time of 3:10pm.

Advertisment
More Reading...
Breeding To Win – Crystal Ball – New Season 3YOs to Follow
Analysis of the G1 winning 3YO’s for this season has made us realise how many horses on this list took giant strides from two to three, so we are looking into the crystal ball to find some juveniles we believe could end next season as G1 performers if not G1 winners.
Sires With Winners - Wednesday July 2
Here is the full list of 44 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
Third Winner for Peltzer
Twin Hills Stud’s young sire Peltzer added a third winner to his tally with a debut victory at Canberra on Friday for the well named gelding I Show Speed.
Spring Potential for Darby Racing's Raging Force
Unplaced in the Group III ATC Breeders’ Plate last spring on debut, Raging Force came out of that race with an injury that required significant time on the sidelines, but since returning to full work his progress has been swift.
Invincible 2YO Colt wins for Bennett Racing
The $150,000 VRC Next Gen Sprinters Series Final (1200m) for two year-olds at Flemington on Saturday drew a competitive field of progressive juveniles and the colt that stood out on type in the yard was the one that got the cash with I Am Invincible colt Jimmy Recard proving too good for race favourite Bacash.
So You Think 3YO Wins $100,000 Inglis Xtra Bonus
Good placement from the Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott stable for progressive three year-old So You Think gelding Aloysius, who cast off maiden status at Hawkesbury on Thursday in a race that featured a lucrative Inglis Xtra maiden bonus.
Sword Poised to Strike
When the first crop yearlings by a young stallion are well received and go into the right stables that’s always a good sign and then a few months after that is when things start to get really interesting.
2026 Golden Slipper Entries – Sortable, Sale Mail – Find Out More
The new season is nearly upon us and that means all over the country a new crop of rising two year-olds are taking baby steps in the best stables in the land with the Australian Turf Club announcing this week they had received 1927 entries for the 2026 Golden Slipper, so who is in the race?
Sires With Winners - Thursday July 3
Here is the full list of 27 stallions which had winners throughout Australasia today with winners and result details.
One to Watch – Hawkesbury
Super Seth has had three G1 winners in Australia this season and John O’Shea and Tom Charlton have trained two of them, so when they produce a lightly raced maiden winner by this exciting young sire we want to know more.