Postponed Fillies Early Leads in both Filly Series

Postponed Fillies Assert Early Leads in both Filly Series'

A thrilling start to the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year and Southern Filly of the Year Series' saw fillies from the first crop of Stoney Bridge stallion, Postponed (Summer Squall x Bridal Tea), seal victory in both stakes races.

In Hastings, favourite Naturo (Postponed x Rubiton's Best) produced an impressive turn to foot to secure a bold win the $70,000 Group 3 Highview Stakes (1200m).

Highly regarded after a promising two-year-old season which included a win in the Group 2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m), owner Andrew McLachlan was confident in Naturo's level of fitness for Saturday's race despite it being her first raceday start this preparation. Trained by John Sargent, Naturo is now the winner of three of her four starts and has the $275,000 Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton in November clearly in her sights.

The Highview Stakes was the first race in the ten-race Filly of the Year Series, giving Naturo the early lead with six points on the leaderboard. Naturo is joined by Highview Stakes place-getters Magic Tryst (Magic Ring x Our Tristajet) on three points and Italia (Stravinsky x Capote Crossing) on one-and-a-half.

The next race in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series is this Saturday at Ellerslie with the running of the Listed Soliloquy Stakes (1400m).

In the South, it was the Howie and Lorraine Matthews trained Dorabella (Postponed x Caserio) who asserted her authority on the field in the $50,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1400m).

A winning weekend was enjoyed by her breeders Peter and Nancy Izett of Otaki as Dorabella's half-brother - the Laurie Laxon trained Crusoe (Volksraad x Caserio) - recorded a win in the Kranji Stakes B (1200m) in Singapore.

Dorabella leads the Southern Filly of the Year Series on seven points ahead of Keeper On (Keeper x Flying Finish) and Our Shakira (Cullen x Sonet) on one. She is now tipped to be targetted at a clash with Naturo in the New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas on 11 November.

The next race in the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series is the $50,000 Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on 25 March.

It was fitting that Mike Tololi's Stoney Bridge Stud should be in the spotlight on Saturday as the Stud was also the lead sponsor on the day, with the Group 1 Stoney Bridge Stakes headlining the second day of the Hawkes Bay Carnival.

By the dual Group 1 winner Summer Squall by Storm Bird, the sire of Storm Cat, Postponed now has three stakes winning fillies to his credit, the other being the Tololi owned Post Thyme (Postponed x Cardamom) who won the Listed Network Visuals Champagne Stakes (1600m). Postponed is represented by three lots in the up-coming Karaka Ready to Run Sale.

For upcoming races and up-to-date points tables for the NZB Filly of the Year Series & Southern Filly Series go to http://www.nzb.co.nz

ENDS

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