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NZB Filly of the Year Frontrunner Faces Group One Test

Media Release - Friday Nov 6

Asturia (NZ) (Almanzor) has wasted little time in stamping herself as an early standout in the 2026-27 NZB Filly of the Year Series, and Saturday’s $600,000 Group One Barneswood Farm 54th New Zealand 1000 Guineas (1600m) at Riccarton gives her the chance to confirm that superiority.

Almanzor (Fr) filly Astoria is the front runner - Race Images

One of only two Group One races in the 11-race series, the Guineas is worth 12 points to the winner, with 7 points for second and 3.5 for third.

Asturia heads the NZB Filly of the Year Series standings with 8 points, with the next three fillies on the table – Liguria (NZ) (Snitzel) with 7 points, and Hawea (Hellbent) and Pounce (NZ) (Almanzor) with 6 each – all absent from the 1000 Guineas line-up.

The other runners in the 1000 Guineas who already have points to their name are Silhouette (NZ) (Armory) with 3 points, Fiamma (NZ) (Pinatubo) with 2 points and Dashing Dixie (NZ) (Alabama Express) with 1.5 points.

A smart maiden winner and unlucky Group Two Hawke’s Bay Guineas (1400m) placegetter in her first two starts, Asturia joined the NZB Filly of the Year Series when she made her third career start in last month’s Group Two Soliloquy Stakes (1400m) at Ellerslie. She swept to a super-impressive win, moving straight to the top of the NZB Filly of the Year Series leaderboard as well as taking clear favouritism for the 1000 Guineas.

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Significantly, seven of the last eight 1000 Guineas winners have come through the Soliloquy Stakes, including three who have won both races – Media Sensation (I Am Invincible) in 2018, Legarto (NZ) (Proisir) in 2022 and Well Written (Written Tycoon) in 2025.

But, as usual, the field for the prestigious New Zealand 1000 Guineas has no shortage of credentials outside of the favourite. All but one of the 15 runners have been race winners, with maiden filly Grocer’s Girl (NZ) (Tarzino) being stakes-placed.

There are nine black-type placegetters in the line-up, including Sweetest Thing (NZ) (Hello Youmzain), who was runner-up in the Group One Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m) as a two-year-old last season.

The Barneswood Farm 54th New Zealand 1000 Guineas will be run as Race 10 at Riccarton on Saturday, with a scheduled start time of 4.39pm.

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