NZ Filly of The Year within Amarelinha's Grasp

With a last-gasp victory over a worthy foe in Sunday's $70,000 Gr3 McKee Family Sunline Vase (2100m) at Ellerslie, this season's standout 3YO filly Amarelinha (NZ) (Savabeel-Hopscotch, by O'Reilly) has extended her lead in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series. Bought by Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis for $300,000 from Waikato Stud's draft at Karaka 2019, Amarelinha has now won four of her six starts and $302,700 in stakes. She has won three legs of the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series – the Group 2 Eight Carat Classic (1600m), Group 2 David & Karyn Ellis Fillies' Classic (2000m) and Sunday's Sunline Vase – and has now earned 22 points, which puts her 7 points ahead of stablemate Kahma Lass (NZ) (Darci Brahma) in second. Amarelinha's dominant last-start victory in the Fillies' Classic at Te Rapa earned her hot favouritism at Ellerslie on Sunday, but this time it was anything but easy as she was forced to chase Gr2 Royal Stakes winner Needle and Thread (Makfi) who had established a dangerous lead. The result was a nose on the line. There is now only one leg remaining in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series – the $400,000 Group 1 Al Basti Equiworld Dubai New Zealand Oaks (2400m) at Trentham on March 20, which is worth a crucial 12 points for first, 7 for second and 3.5 for third. The title looks to be Amarelinha's to lose.

Amarelinha won by a nose (pic: nzb.co.nz)