The NZ Bloodstock’s Filly of the Year Series reaches its halfway mark on Boxing Day with the running of the G2 Cambridge Stud Eight Carat Classic (1600m) at Ellerslie.

Top of the table after four legs is Planet Rock and she will line up in the Eight Carat Classic.  The Fastnet Rock filly is a last start winner of the G1 NZB 1000 Guineas.

Hardest to beat will be Dowager Queen (Savabeel).  The Graeme Rogerson trained filly was runner-up in the G1 Victoria Oaks earlier this season.  

Rogerson will also saddle Abeautifulred (Handsome Ransom).  She was only just beaten by Planet Rock in the Guineas and followed up with a fourth in the G3 Eulogy Stakes.

Leading fancies Testa Secret (Testa Rossa) has been placed at G3 level in the Gold Trail and Eulogy Stakes and Xanadu (Elusive City) is unbeaten in three starts.

Xanadu faces a big step up in class as does Purpose (Falkirk) who goes into the race off back-to-back victories.  

Roger James will saddle three runners in the race headed by Holy Moly (Holy Roman Emperor) who won the second leg of the Filly of the Year Series in the Listed Soliloquy Stakes.  Her lightly raced stablemates Full of Spirit (Flying Spur) and Silent Achiever (O’Reilly) are both last start winners.

The Shaune Ritchie trained Artistic (Darci Brahma) goes into the Group 2 after her good fourth in the G1 NZ Bloodstock 1000 Guineas.  She was very impressive when winning the Listed Bonecrusher Stakes against the boys earlier in the season and is another that is well placed in this highly competitive field.

The sixth leg of the Filly of the Year Series is scheduled for Ellerslie on New Year’s Day with the running of the G2 NZB Royal Stakes (2000m).