Search for NZB filly of year starts Saturday

The running of the $75,000 Group 3 Highview Stakes (1200m) at Hastings on Saturday heralds the start of this season's search for the best three-year-old fillies in New Zealand as the first leg in the prestigious New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.

Reigning New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year, Princess Coup (Encosta de Lago x Stoneyfell Road), was recently crowned at the Mercedes Racing Awards dinner and joined the likes of Savannah Success, Alacrity, Solveig, Phillipa Rush, La Mer, Mop and Tang to claim the cobeted crown.


2006-07 Series Winner, Princess Coup.
Always hotly contested, the Series winner takes home $25,000 in bonus cheques to be split amongst the owner ($15,000), trainer ($5,000) and breeder ($5,000) of the winning filly.

Nine three-year-olds are set to fill the gates in the Highview Stakes on Saturday, looking to get some early points on the board with six available for first, three for second and 1.5 for third.

The unbeaten Special Mission (Towkay x Te Akau Trek) for Mark Walker is a strong contender, coming off a hat-trick of wins which include the Listed Levin Ryder Stakes and the Listed Wanganui JC Carters-Gib Stakes. Reese Jones is booked for the ride.

Walker's two-pronged attack is completed by last start winner on debut by an easy six lengths, Insouciant (Keeper x Loudenne). Bred and owned by Peter and Philip Vela of Pencarrow Stud, she will be ridden by their retained rider Michael Walker.

Also off the back of a last start win is Jim Collets' Royal Taat (Faltaat x Royal Wink) and the Steven Pinfold trained Strategic Decision (Strategic Image x Roosevelt).

Emily Jane (Black Minnaloushe), from the Palmerston North stable of Charlie Walding, resumed at Hastings on 1 September with a nice rails run for third and will be guided by Bruce Herd again on Saturday.

Last season's owner of the year Dick Karreman not only has star mare Seachange (Cape Cross x Just Cruising) lining up on the day in the Group 1 Stoneybridge Stakes but is also represented in the Highview by the highly talented Diamond Deck (Octagonal x Miss Trump).

The half-sister to Lonhro and Niello starts fresh up and despite not having won a race has an impressive string of successes to date bringing home a second placing in the Group 2 QTC Sires Produce and a third in the Group 2 BTC Champagne Classic from the Brisbane Carnival.

Also looking to break maiden ranks are Satinka (Stravinsky x Miss Saigon), Use To Be A Dancer (Ustinov x Highland Dancer) and Stravinsky's Affair (Stravinsky x My Happiness).

The running of last year's Highview Stakes unearthed one of the season's most impressive fillies in Naturo (Postponed x Rubiton's Best). Bred by Andrew and Dionne McLachlan her race career was unfortunately cut short when suffering severe fetlock injuries in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas. She is to be mated with Pins this season.