Then Duchess of Kent (Art major) starts in the $200,000 Nevele R Three Year Old Fillies Final. It will be the first time Pearson has had a rider in a Group 1 race.
Pearson’s only other Group starter was Duchess Of Kent’s half-brother Duke Of Wellington, who won the 2018 Southern Supremacy Stakes.
Duchess Of Kent is one of the rising stars in what has been a vintage crop of three-year-old fillies.
She has won four of her five starts this season and finished a close second in the final heat of the series at Ashburton.
“We thought she was out of breath and Bob (driver Bob Butt) thinks she was running out of steam,” Pearson said.
Duchess of Kent has recently taken up residence at Butt’s Woodend Beach stables as all her age group races took place in the wider Canterbury area.
“I’m pretty relaxed because she’s with Bob, so he’s got all the pressure. I might get a little nervous when I get there, but we’ve got a show on our hands. She’s jumping out of her skin and that’s all we can ask for.”
The three-year-old filly has drawn the two barriers on the second row and will follow Winelight, who is expected to move to the front.
“I don’t think it will be that bad, but you don’t know that with racing. Hopefully she’s not parked or anything like that.”
It has been seventeen years since the last Southland-trained filly, Badlands Jewel, trained by Wayne Adams, won the Nevele R Fillies Final. Other southern trained fillies to win include Whanau and Robyn’s Treasure.
For full race entries, click here.
Through Bruce Stewartfor Harnesslink
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