2007/2008 Filly of the Year Series Schedule Set

The new season timetable for the 2007/2008 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series has been finalised and in just three weeks the country's three-year-old fillies will start to battle it out for the prestigious crown.

This year the Filly of the Year Series will carry even more profile and appeal with a huge $200,000 increase in prizemoney on offer across the ten-race Series.

Each year the title is keenly contested and the Series winner immediately becomes highly valuable breeding proposition. In addition to the accolades, $25,000 in bonus cheques from New Zealand Bloodstock go to the owner, trainer and breeder of the successful filly.

The fillies compete the series of ten races and are awarded points for wins or placings in each race. Every race carries black type, over distances from 1200 metres to the 2400 metres of the $350,000 Group 1 New Zealand Oaks in March 2008.

Last season's winner was the star filly of the Mark Walker stable, Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago - Stoneyfell Road), who won three races in the Series - the G3 Desert Gold Stakes, the G3 Lowland Stakes and the G1 New Zealand Oaks - and was placed in three other events. Her Series win put her on a Filly of the Year Honours Roll that includes the previous season's tenacious winner Shikoba (Chief Bearhart - Summary), plus the likes of Savannah Success, Alacrity, Solveig, Phillipa Rush, Noble Heights, La Mer, Mop and Tang.

The first race in the Series is the $75,000 G3 Highview Stakes (1200m) at Hawkes Bay on 22 September, which was won last year by Naturo (Postponed - Rubiton's Best).