Juice Squeezes in for Gold Trail Win

Juice Squeezes in for Gold Trail Win

Karaka Carnival Sale graduate Juice (Bertolini - Call Minder by Christmas Tree) took out the first of the ten races in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series, the Group 3 Gold Trail Stakes in Association with Hutchinsons (1200m), at Hastings on Saturday. Under little pressure and with Leith Innes in the saddle, she won by a half length.

The Waikato Stud bred and owned Daffodil (No Excuse Needed - Spring by O'Reily) assumed the pacemaking role and ran a brave race for second with Group 1 Ford Manuwatu Sires' Produce Stakes winner Il Quello Veloce (Captain Rio - Nishaani by Gold Brose) finishing in third.

Juice is trained in New Plymouth by John Wheeler, who purchased her for NZ$20,000 from Seaton Park last year. She now boasts three wins, two seconds and a third from seven starts for earnings of NZ$117,725 with Wheeler now aiming her at the Group 1 New Zealand Bloodstock One Thousand Guineas in November.

The reigning Mercedes Champion 2YO of last season, Il Quello Veloce was purchased by her trainer, John Sargent, for NZ$50,000 from the Karaka Select Sale from Westbury Stud.

Juice now sits in first place on the NZB Filly of the Year Series Leaderboard with six points with the placegetters notching up three and 1.5 points respectively. New Zealand Bloodstock have doubled the bonus cheques on offer to the Series winner this year with the winning owner now set to receive NZ$30,000 with NZ$10,000 each to the winning trainer and breeder.

 The next race in the Series is this Saturday 27 September with Auckland Racing Club's Listed  $60,000 Soliloquy Lodge Stakes (1400m).

Click here for more information on the NZB Filly of the Year Series.
Metropolitan Sets Southern Series Alight
Metropolitan (Elusive City - Our Diva by Oregon) sped to the top of the New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series with her win in the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) at Riccarton on Saturday.

 
 Metropolitan winning the NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes on Saturday. Photo: Annie Studholme.

Franking some good form, which includes running third to Juice two starts ago, she finished a nose ahead of Lisa Latta's Northern raider Platinum Zana (Noverre - Fanfare by Mighty Avalanche) while Paul Harris' hope Full Pitch (Stay Tuned - Kartia by Kashani) finished third.

Bred by Fairdale Stud and Jim Otway the talented youngster is trained by John and Karen Parsons. She provided her Haunui Farm shuttle-sire Elusive City (Elusive Quality) with his first stakes-winner and gave jockey Maria Hayston the biggest win of her career. She is raced by Phil Bayly and has now had five starts for a win, two seconds and two thirds.

Metropolitan now has seven points on the Leaderboard with Platinum Zana and Full Pitch receiving three and one point apiece.

The next instalment in the four-race NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series is not until Saturday 7 March with the running of the $55,000 New Zealand Bloodstock Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui.

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