The $80,000 Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes (1200m) will launch the 2026-27 NZB Southern Filly Series at Riccarton Park Racecourse on Saturday, with 14 three-year-old fillies due to contest the opening leg of the four-race South Island series.
Scheduled as Race 7 at 3:30pm, the Canterbury Belle Stakes will provide the first opportunity for the southern fillies to begin accumulating points towards the series title. The opening leg will form part of a wider programme of NZB-sponsored races designed to identify the leading three-year-old fillies across the South Island.
NZB Southern Filly Series Begins with Canterbury Belle Stakes
The NZB Southern Filly Series will comprise four Listed contests, with the Canterbury Belle Stakes providing the first test before the series progresses through longer distances during the season.
The second leg will be the $90,000 Listed NZB Airfreight Stakes (1400m), scheduled for Wingatui on Boxing Day. The series will then return to Riccarton Park Racecourse for the $80,000 Listed NZB Insurance Stakes (1600m) on April 10, followed by the $80,000 Listed Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on April 24.
The points system will reward the first three finishers on a 7-4-2 basis. The filly who accumulates the highest tally across the four races will claim the NZB Southern Filly of the Year title, with the trophy to be presented at the South Island Racing Awards following the September season.
Each race winner will also receive an NZB Insurance policy valued at $50,000 plus GST, adding another significant incentive to the four-race programme.
The previous season’s championship will provide a useful reference point as the new series begins. Miss Starlight (NZ) (Sweynesse) will enter the campaign as the 2025-26 titleholder after compiling 15 points. Bona Sforza (Written By) will have finished second on 11 points, while Perlino (NZ) (Super Seth) will have occupied third with nine.
Miss Starlight will have secured her championship through three appearances in the series, including victory in the Listed Canterbury Belle Stakes and runner-up finishes in the Listed Airfreight Stakes and Listed Insurance Stakes.
The new campaign will bring a field of 14 fillies to the Canterbury Belle Stakes, with Sweetest Thing (NZ) (Hello Youmzain) among the most accomplished names in the line-up. She will arrive with Group 1 form after finishing runner-up in last season’s Manawatu Sires’ Produce Stakes (1400m).
Six race winners will also be included in the field, ensuring the opening leg will bring together a mixture of established performers and fillies looking to strengthen their credentials at stakes level.
The 1200m distance will provide a sharp beginning to the series before the programme moves to 1400m, 1600m and ultimately 2000m. The progression will gradually test different attributes, with early speed likely to be particularly important in the Canterbury Belle Stakes before stamina becomes increasingly significant in the later stages of the series.
Saturday’s contest will therefore carry importance beyond the opening race itself. Seven points will be available to the winner, while second and third will earn four and two points respectively. A strong beginning could provide an early advantage in the championship standings, although three further opportunities will remain for the leading fillies to alter the complexion of the series.
The Canterbury Belle Stakes will consequently provide the first significant measure of the southern three-year-old fillies, while the subsequent legs will offer a longer-term examination of consistency, versatility and staying ability.
The NZB Southern Filly Series will begin with the Listed NZB Canterbury Belle Stakes at Riccarton Park Racecourse on Saturday. Four Listed races will form the championship, with points awarded to the first three finishers before the NZB Southern Filly of the Year title is decided following the final leg at Riccarton.
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