New Zealand Bloodstock's Southern Filly of the Year Series will heat up on Saturday with the running of the third leg, the $50,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton.
The current Series leader with 8 points is Starvoia (Starcraft), who ran second to La Diosa (NZ) (So You Think) in the Canterbury Belle Stakes and second to Residential (NZ) (Pins) in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes. But Starvoia is not lining up in Saturday's race, which throws the Series wide open.
In the prime spot to stake her claim is Starvoia's stablemate Residential, who won the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes and has earned 7 points to sit in equal second spot. The John and Karen Parsons-trained filly has won her last three races in a row, all at stakes level – the Dunedin Guineas, Southland Guineas and New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes.
Dontpokethetiger (Beneteau) ran third in the New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes, picking up 2 points. She too can take the Series lead if she wins on Saturday and Residential is unplaced.
The remainder of Saturday's field are yet to get on the points table, but with 7 points available to the winner, they have the opportunity to quickly attain a prominent position. The second placegetter will earn 4 points and the third placegetter will earn 2 points.
In an effort to maximise the chances of the Series determining an outright winner, changes were made to the format of the Series for the 2016/17 season.
The adjusted points structure and the final leg of the Series, the NZB Warstep Stakes, will act as a 'decider'. In the event of two fillies having equal points following the running of the final leg, the filly with the best finishing position in the NZB Warstep Stakes will be determined the winner of the Series.
The New Zealand Bloodstock Airfreight Stakes will run as race 7 at Riccarton on Saturday with a start time of 3:37pm.
