The two fillies at the head of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series points table will go head to head in Saturday’s sixth leg, the $70,000 Group Three New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.
Jennifer Eccles (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) holds the top spot with 15 points, while Loire (NZ) (Redoute’s Choice) sits in second place.
Loire has the upper hand in the high-class pair’s previous meetings. When they met in the Group Three Gold Trail Stakes (1200m), Loire finished third and Jennifer Eccles was fourth.
They finished first and second in the Group One gavelhouse.com New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November, with Loire beating Jennifer Eccles by a long neck. The third placegetter was Travelling Light (NZ) (El Roca), who has subsequently won at Group One level.
While Loire has been off the scene since that 1000 Guineas, Jennifer Eccles has subsequently enhanced her reputation with a dominant victory in the Group Two Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day. The runner-up in that race, Two Illicit (NZ) (Jimmy Choux), later won the Group Two Royal Stakes (2000m).
The stage is now set for a thrilling rematch between two of the stars of what looks like an exceptional group of fillies.
But they may not get it all their own way. Showbeel (NZ) (Savabeel) has 1.5 Filly of the Year Series points to her name after a strong placing in last month’s Group Three Eulogy Stakes (1600m), while Queen Kamada (NZ) (Rip Van Winkle) was narrowly beaten last start by the top-class Probabeel (NZ) (Savabeel).
Grand De Flora (NZ) (Savabeel) is a daughter of multiple Group One winner Daffodil (NZ) (No Excuse Needed), and she produced an eye-catching finish for fifth last start in the Listed Trevor Eagle Memorial (1500m).
The New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes is worth 6 points to the winner, with 3 points for second and 1.5 for third.
The Desert Gold Stakes will be run as Race 5 on Saturday with a start time of 2:40pm.
