N/A

A field stacked with emerging talent will clash in Saturday’s $120,000 Group Three New Zealand Bloodstock Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham, which is the seventh leg of the prestigious New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series.

Te Akau Racing principal David Ellis knows a thing or two about picking out top-quality fillies at Karaka, and he celebrated another major success story with Quintessa (NZ) (Shamus Award) in Saturday's $500,000 Group One Cambridge Stud Levin Classic (1600m) at Trentham.

The star-studded Christmas Carnival at Pukekohe on Boxing Day and New Year’s Day produced a number of highly impressive three-year-old winners who may be pointed towards the $1.5m TAB Karaka Millions 3YO (1600m) later this month.

The New Year’s Day stop in the New Zealand Bloodstock Filly of the Year Series holds fond memories for Cambridge Stud, and especially after the 2024 edition of the $225,000 race was renamed in honour of the stud’s legendary former owner Sir Patrick Hogan.