Insouciant Hot Favourite For 5th Leg, Filly Series

Insouciant Hot Favourite for Fifth Leg of Filly Series

The $125,000 Group 2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie on Boxing Day will see the country's leading three-year-old fillies do battle in the fifth leg of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.

The third of four races over a mile in the ten-race Series, the other two have already been secured by hot favourite for this race, Insouciant (Keeper - Loudenne). The Mark Walker trained filly currently leads the Filly of the Year Series after victories in the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas, and the Group 3 Ezibuy Eulogy Stakes by four lengths at her last outing on 15 December.

Insouciant's closest challenger on the leaderboard is Seachange's younger sister, Keepa Cruisin (Keeper - Just Cruising). Trained by Stephen McKee for owner Dick Karreman, the filly is the only other Group 1 winner in the field, with success in the Group 1 Levin Classic (1600m) to her credit. The only time she has faced Insouciant is when she ran one-and-a-quarter lengths behind her to finish second in the One Thousand Guineas.

Third favourite in the fixed odds market is the Lance O'Sullivan trained Satinka (Stravinsky - Miss Saigon). Third placed behind Keepa Cruisin in Levin, she has the plum draw this time inside both the favourites.

The Warren Bolton trained Anna Bek (Ustinov - Quack) will be looking to rediscover her winning form to put her first points on the Filly Series table. She sets out from barrier four on Wednesday with Gavin McKeon aboard.

A hard fought second placegetter in the Eulogy, Leanne Bertling's Somethymesoon (Postponed - Cardamom) is looking to score her second win this season and advance her fifth spot on the Filly Series points table.

Unbeaten in her last two starts is the Mike & Paul Moroney trained Bella Valentina (Pins - Roaring Meg) who scored impressively at Ellerslie over 1400m and should enjoy the step up in distance. She is partnered by Michael Coleman from barrier two.

Also unbeaten at her last start is Stephen McKee's second runner in the line up, Boundless (Van Nistelrooy - Nothing Less). Showing promise earlier in the season with two wins and a placing in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes behind Lovetrista and Keepa Cruisin, this is her first raceday outing since 27 October.

With two wins from eleven starts to date, Pretty Vegas (Viking Ruler - Straight Show) was also Group 3 placed in the Eulogy. Trained by Wayne and Vanessa Hillis Pretty Vegas won at Ellerslie at her previous start.

Also lining up on Wednesday are winners over this distance, Caparison (Cape Cross - Stever House) and Tief (Viking Ruler - Azarashi), plus Run Roxy Run (Rock of Gibraltar - Nuance), Shooting Star (Van Nistelrooy - Iridescent), and Lyrical (Traditionally - Makin Music).

Noticeable by her absence is blueblood filly Lovetrista, winner of the second race in the Series, the Listed Soliloquy Stakes. Trainer John Sargent reported that she has been withdrawn from this leg of the Series after muscle problems.
The winner of this leg of the Series will earn 8 points, with 4 points for second and 2 points for third.

ENDS

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