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Less than 24 hours after being crowned last season's champion South Island two-year-old Swiss Ace filly Miss Federer scored her first points in the 2019-20 New Zealand Bloodstock Southern Filly of the Year Series at Riccarton.
The Andrew Carston-trained filly led all the way for a brilliant victory in the first leg of the Series, the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m).
She opened up a big margin early in the run home and held to score from a pair of Showcasing fillies, All About Magic and Woodcote Lass.
Bought for $10,000 at Book 2 of Karaka 2018, Miss Federer has had seven starts for four wins, two placings and $121,535 in prize-money – more than 12 times her purchase price.
Miss Federer won three of her five starts last season including the G 3 Woburn Farm 2YO Classic (1200m) and the Listed Welcome Stakes (1000m).
Miss Federer (Swiss Ace x Halobelle) now tops the NZB Southern Filly of the Year Series table with 7 points, while All About Magic has 4 points and Woodcote Lass has 2.
The series will resume in the late summer and autumn with the remaining three legs – the Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m) at Wingatui on February 29, the Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1600m) at Riccarton on April 4 and the Listed New Zealand Bloodstock Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on April 18.
In the meantime Miss Federer could be in line for a shot at the G1 NZ 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 16.
"She has a nomination for the race and that is our target, but whether she gets there or not will be up to her recovery from today and how she goes when we step her up over more ground," Carston said.
"As long as she comes through this well, I will give her a month between runs and have a crack at the Barnswood Farm Stakes at Ashburton in mid-October."
Karaka graduates enjoyed a big evening at the South Island Racing Awards at Riccarton, headed by a second Horse of the Year title for the Savabeel star Savvy Coup.
With six wins and $649,000 in stakes to her name, Savvy Coup has earned almost 10 times her purchase prices. Her racetrack heroics were honoured on Friday with a second Horse of the Year trophy, along with the title of Champion Stayer.
Bought for $65,000 at the 2016 Premier Sale, Savvy Coup burst to prominence in the 2017-18 season with five wins and more than $460,000 in stakes, headed by the G1 NZ Oaks (2400m).
As well as earning her first South Island Horse of the Year title, the Michael and Matthew Pitman-trained runner was also New Zealand's champion three-year-old of that season.
Savvy Coup continued in the same vein last season, winning the G1 Livamol Classic (2040m) and finishing second in the G1 Windsor Park Plate (1600m). She also travelled to Melbourne and contested the prestigious WS Cox Plate.
The $55,000 Select Sale purchase Emily Margaret (Pins) was Champion 3YO and NZB Southern Filly of the Year.
Trained by Kevin and Pam Hughes, she earned $157,375 in a season headed by victories in the G2 Wellington Guineas (1400m), Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) and Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1400m).
Champion Miler wasBoots 'N' All (Perfectly Ready), whose 2018-19 season featured a win in the Listed Timaru Cup (1600m) and placings in the G2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile (1600m) and the G3 White Robe Lodge (1600m).
Breeders Bruce Sheat and Cheryl Wilson tried to sell Boots 'N' All at the 2014 South Island Sale with a reserve of only $5000 but he was passed in.
Sent to the stable of Lance Robinson, he ended up winning them more than $280,000 in prize-money before sadly suffering a fatal reaction to an antibiotic in April.
High-class Charm Spirit filly Aretha picked up where she left off last season by taking the early lead in the 2019-20 New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series with her victory in Saturday's G3 Hawke's Bay Breeders Gold Trail Stakes at Hastings.
Trained by Murray Baker and Andrew Forsman for owner-breeder Greg McCarthy, Aretha's four starts as a 2YO produced a win in the G2 Matamata Breeders' Stakes (1200m) and placings in the G1 Sistema Stakes (1200m), G1 Manawatu Sires' Produce Stakes and G2 Wakefield Challenge Stakes (1100m).
Aretha has now had five starts for two wins, three placings and $177,250 in prize-money.
The Gold Trail Stakes was the first of 10 legs in the 2019-20 NZB Filly of the Year Series and Aretha has taken the early lead with 6 points.
Bavella sits second with 3 points while Loire has 1.5 points.
The second leg of the series is the G1 New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton on November 16.