Vavasour amazingly took this long to get her for her first win this campaign but snared the G3 Counties Cup (run at Avondale while the Pukekohe track remains out of play) over 2100m today in super style. The 4yo mare sat wide sixth the whole way relaxed and only surged at the 200m when asked for a supreme effort by rider Danielle Johnson. She narrowly beat a game leader in Farm Boy by a head but the manner showed she has more Cup success to come. It was her fourth win in fourteen starts and she clocked 2:10.84 so no records were being broken but it did explain why she could sit deep and prevail. Farm Boy tried to do it from barrier to winning post the second time around and almost did. He fought ever so hard and is competitive at WFA and handicap level at any grade in New Zealand. Authentic Paddy ran a brave third from the trail and is not only handling regular racing but thriving on it at the moment. Consensus fought well for fourth after sitting wide throughout but she got cover from the winner the whole way so had her chance. Salford Art ran on well for fifth and this four-win mare was midweek class in Sydney at best so how she can finish this close up at G3 in New Zealand is alarming when measuring actual depth. She is a Benchmark 75-80 mare in Sydney and has never placed in stakes class. Delago’s Secret was luckless and is a next upper as finding traffic and slamming doors have never been his scene. Storming The Tower ran on from second last closer in to be beaten just over three lengths and has another win in him. The Tidy Express was okay late down the outer after being back and wide but her days on the track are numbered. Deane Martin an improver as he too found being surrounded and hemmed in unhelpful the run home and like Delago’s Secret is a clear air galloper. Bectolsheimer fought on okay as did quite a few like Dubai Shuffle, Smedley (bumped at the start) and Decorah but the modest race pace overall was the most significant factor in this. Vavasour can keep winning now she has that kill taste in the mouth again and she showed that extra gear to go too today only found in the top tier horses regarding New Zealand racing. Farm Boy was good too and he will cash in over summer and maybe into autumn depending on how his campaign is mapped out. Consensus will be a Cups and WFA player in New Zealand while Salford Art is somehow competitive too, so the depth is not really here in New Zealand using her as a stamina reference point. Delago’s Secret and Deane Martin are the two next uppers while Storming The Tower and Dubai Shuffle were not too bad either.