Fillies First Hunt for Gold in the Trail Stakes

Springing into action this Saturday is New Zealand Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series with the running of the $70,000 Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes (1200m) at Hastings.

Stakes-winner Maritimo (NZ) will contest Saturday’s Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes.

Celebrating its 43rd anniversary, the coveted New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year title is awarded to the three-year-old filly who accumulates the most points in the 10-race Series in New Zealand.

This leg, the first in a Series of 10 races, is run over 1200m with the distances increasing throughout the Series and culminating in the Group 1 New Zealand Oaks over 2400m at Trentham. Fillies who compete in the Series are awarded points for wins or placings in each race.

Saturday’s Gold Trail Stakes has attracted a field of 13 runners looking to earn first points towards the Series, with the winning horse awarded 6 points, runner-up receiving 3 points and 1.5 points in third place.

At the top of the book is stakes-winner Maritimo (NZ) (Pins) for trainers Graeme and Debbie Rogerson. The daughter of Pins won two of her four starts as a juvenile, including the Listed Wellesley Stakes by an impressive four-and-a-half-lengths and was runner-up in the Group 3 Eclipse Stakes. Commencing from barrier 10, Johnathon Parkes will ride Maritimo after being on board in her first stakes win.

Karaka graduate O’Dianne (NZ) (O’Reilly) will be starting her spring campaign on Saturday for the newly formed training partnership Stephen McKee and Eddie Chippendale. Finishing fourth in the $1m Karaka Million, the daughter of Champion Sire O’Reilly will be ridden by regular rider Sam Spratt from barrier 3.

Saturday’s event will be the first chance for fillies to get points on the board in the sought-after Series, with the Group 3 Hawke’s Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes set to run at 3.05pm.