Wow!! What are we in for with these Sires' Stakes Series with what we’ve seen from these fillies so far! And we're one week deep!
Well it didn’t all totally click, but so good is Song Of Seas she impressed all the judges in the opening round of the Nevele R Fillies Series 2026. If it was a television show the immediate fan discussion would be around how far she could go on ‘Fillies Got Talent’?! History says ‘all the way’!
The last two Nevele R Fillies Series champions, Celestial Sea and Treacherous Baby, have come through these early conditioned heats.
Hall of Fame rein man Ricky May probably summed up the general vibe post‑race: ‘either the rest are battlers or she’s really good’. The race stats and RT’s sore arms clearly lean to the latter.
May only released his tight grip after straightening for the run to the line and in a flash the powerhouse daughter of Downbytheseaside and Pressed For Time sailed on by the favourites, the well credentialled visitors and other early bird hopefuls for a simple victory. Trainer Tom Bagrie is happy to be in charge of Song Of Seas’ destiny with a Cup Week berth in the series final now locked in.
“I was chatting to Martin (Pierson) before they went onto the track about what we needed to do in these conditioned heats to qualify and he said top two very good, win and you’re in, so to be able to pick our path is bloody excellent now!”
Looking tanned and fit after a break, ‘Baggo’ was keen to emphasise the Team Bagrie secret sauce that realised this victory.
“The family took the chance to take a break in Australia around having a horse at the Queensland Carnival, so having the team back home making sure this filly and the others kept building through their preps for the Spring has been absolute key in the outcomes tonight.”
Some of the right hands — James, Kaleb and sister Sam — were in the Breckon Winners Room to help with replay analysis and celebrations, while Tom Borcoskie, still buzzing after a stable win in the first, was on horse duty back at the boxes.
Most of the paying connections have been here before with this filly’s dam Pressed For Time, who won the Southland Oaks even though she never realised her true potential.
Bagrie explains: “The mother was real good but her size pulled her up in the end. We were forever keeping on top of joints and feet issues with her — she was so big but fast.”
Breeder Brian Cowley and his racing partners Sue Ruffell and Claire Sarsfield might be in for a bumpy but enjoyable voyage again with Song Of Seas, who absolutely has her mum’s downwind speed even if the handling is still a work in progress.
Team Bagrie will take in another Nevele R Heat and possibly even the Foundations Pace (formerly Harness 7000) en route to that sought‑after series final on New Zealand Cup Day!
HIGH QUALITY OVERCOMES HIGH QUANTITY IN CAMBRIDGE!
Just how fast will you have to be in the Dunstan Horsefeeds Fillies Series this year?! Our two‑year‑old pacing fillies burned the track at Ashburton back in June with an eye‑popping 1.52 mile rate in the Helen Pope Stakes on Kings Birthday, and the flyers up north were at it too in heat one in the Waikato.
The Tony’s — Cameron and Herlihy — combined with Bettor’s Delight filly Belle Biddy, who burned and buried ten others with a 1.54 speed over the weekend!
Pedigree, pedigree, pedigree might be responsible again for all this speed and stamina. Like Song Of Seas down south the same night, Belle Biddy is backed by a Sires' Stakes winning dam.
Among the seven wins for Opoutama on the track were an Uncut Gems and Magness Benrow Mares Classic at Alexandra Park, and there was some familiar stakes‑level grit and determination at play for the Tardina Stud bred filly.
She needed it though, with hard‑charging fillies coming at her left and right late in the strength‑sapping 1700m sprint. Lady Di (Captaintrecherous) and Purdon came up pixel short, Seaside Elegance (Downbytheseaside) only conceded very late after setting the hot pace, and Daisy Bay (Downbytheseaside) somehow got within a length from as good as last on the corner.
Just three and a half lengths covered the first eight horses home! It’s going to be some series from what we’ve seen from these fillies so far!
They have their second heat on September 4 in Auckland, while the Southern group go in the Caduceus Club Prelude in Christchurch the same night.
Working back, the first heat of the Woodlands Stud Series is also at Alexandra Park, September 4, while the next heat of the Nevele R Series is next Sunday (August 30) in Ashburton.
Possibly the most important date though: Tuesday September 1 — the final day for Sires Stakes and foal payments!
In case you missed it, Sires’ Stakes Series racing has arrived for Spring/Summer 2026!
