Racing: Four winners share filly of the year title

The South Island Filly of the Year series has ended in a tie among four horses: Ishiabeel, Chaparella, Mercury Mistress and Brown Eyed Girl.

It is the first time the series has been tied in its 29-year history.

Ishiabeel won the final race in the four-race series, the Warstep Stakes (2000m) at Riccarton on Saturday. She was ridden by Jay Misbah, who rode Chaparella to win the Wingatui race.

Brown Sugar won the Canterbury Belle Stakes in spring and Mercury Mistress won a 1600m race at Riccarton.

Ishiabeel, a daughter of Ishiguru and the Zabeel mare, Danceabeel, is trained at Riccarton by Terri Rae for Bradbury Bloodstock Ltd.

Ishiabeel changed hands for $58,000 at the 2008 select yearling sale at Karaka, when offered by Chequers Stud in Cambridge.

Ishiabeel had her other win on a heavy track at Riccarton in August.

El Santo confirmed his liking for rain-affected tracks when he won the group three $70,000 Easter Stakes (1600m) on Saturday.

Five of his six wins have been on slow or heavy tracks. The 7-year-old gelding owned and trained at Riccarton by Sophie Hargreaves, was having his second start back from a spell.

Hargreaves is undecided about the next start for El Santo.

"I had been thinking about the 1400m race at Riccarton [May 8], but I am now giving some thought to the Canterbury Gold Cup the same day," Hargreaves said.

The 1400m race has a stake of $35,000 and the weight-for-age Canterbury Gold Cup (2000m) has a stake of $100,000.

"He has only been back in work for 10 weeks."

El Santo has not raced beyond 1600m.

His half-brother Scrumptious won over 2050m at Moe and finished third in the 2001 Geelong Cup (2400m) after being sold by Hargreaves.

The Palatable gelding won four races including an 1800m at Riccarton.

My Halo, the sire of El Santo, has left mainly sprinters.