Select fillies in draft for South Island Sale

 A select quartet of fillies are in the 15-horse White Robe Lodge draft for the South Island session of the New Zealand Bloodstock yearling sales in Christchurch on April 21.

The fillies are by Gallant Guru - Blessed Thee; Ferlax - No Lane Bridge; Nadeem - Zenno Queen and Raise The Flag - Ears Carol.

"A host of good fillies from White Robe Lodge have been sold or passed in at the South Island sale. "Parthesia, the group three Tasmanian Oaks winner this year was sold after being passed in and there have been the stakes winners Renee, Dozen Roses, Clarendon Ruby, Inferno and Cherry Creek,'' said Wayne Stewart, the stud manager.

He said the filly out of Blessed Thee was a rare opportunity to buy into a top producing family tracing to The Pixie. The filly is a half-sister to The Bishop, winner of the listed Spring Classic at Riccarton and an Invercargill Cup (2600m). The family has been to the fore this season through La Diosa (La Bella Diosa in Australia) (group one New Zealand One Thousand Guineas and g2 Surround Stakes at Warwick Farm) and Sircconi (g2 Sires Produce Stakes at Flemington). Her sire Gallant Guru has also been prominent this season through stakes winners Coulee and Tommy Tucker.

The filly out of Ears Carol, is a half-sister to Who Shot Thebarman, winner of g1 Auckland Cup, g2 Zipping Classic at Sandown, g3 Bart Cummings at Flemington and third in a Melbourne Cup. He took his stake earnings to $2.5 million when fourth in the BMW at Rosehill on Saturday (25/3/2017). Her sire Raise The Flag has left Parthesia, Raise You Ten (listed Gore Guineas), Princess Brook and Unfurl (Australia).

"The filly by Ferlax is from a great fillies family," said Stewart. She is from the first crop of Ferlax, winner of the Austrsalian Guineas and Memsie Stakes. No Lane Bridge, a Centaine mare has left two winners and her granddam Sanderae won a Victoria Oaks and one of her daughters left a winner of the same race.

The filly out of Zenno Queen is a half-sister to New York Minute, winner of four races and stakes placed.

"She is an outstanding type,''said Stewart.