This G3 over 1550m saw a dozen runners compete on a heavy and biased bog where the inside lanes were no go areas from the outset. Dolcetto has not been beaten this year and today after sitting poised fourth then third moved up wider turning for home and swam to the lead at the 200m to score by threequarters of a length. The 5yo gelding clocked 1:41.08 to win his seventh race from just ten starts and all his victories have come on heavy (six times) and slow (once) tracks. No surprise that he is unbeaten at Awapuni (three for three) as this track has been a bog it seems for so long it is not funny. The field overall was suspect and the highest locally rated runner was Authentic Paddy, an 8yo that had not won a race since April of 2016. He raced on the pace, as he usually does and is best at, then once headed near the home turn was a close third still at the 200m and regained second at the 100m. It was more a tough one-batting wet track effort against inferior opposition this time in after racing at G2 then G1 in his two outings so far this campaign. Rosewood, a four-win 4yo mare at her first G3 attempt got third after racing handy throughout but looked sure to finish fourth in the leather medal position until the final 5m. Our Bandit, which had raced three days earlier over 2040m when a distant fifth of eighth runners handled the class rise and backing up so soon plus coming back 490m. He was running sixth or seventh mostly and his effort to be beaten less than two lengths does emphasise how lacking in depth this field really was overall. Francaletta the favourite missed again at blacktype in just her second attempt at this desperately trying to enhance her broodmare worth. The mare up until today had also beaten home the winner Dolcetto both times they had met comfortably too it should be noted. The rise to 1550m and second up on a bog all did not help plus she got ridden on the pace and was closer in and dictated too the whole race so was in the wrong spot on settling. She led turning for home but was headed at the 200m and then when sure to hang on for third and the G3 placing was swamped the last 5m. Art Deco and Platinum Command fought on okay after sitting worse than midfield and wide throughout. The resuming stayer Five To Midnight ran a decent race for eighth beaten just over three and a half lengths after being handy wide all the way. He boxed on okay and it this wet track gutbuster has not flattened him then he should be a Cups force in New Zealand over the Spring and Summer and if still up then the early Autumn too. The three slow out runners in Blathwayt, Third Time Lucky and Big Dreamer filled three of the last four positions across the line being beaten seven and a half lengths up to thirteen lengths. Slimline fresh up was buried on the inner and improved closest in near the home turn but quickly got bogged down and stopped to last beaten over nineteen lengths. This was nowhere near a G3 field and a total wet track result. Dolcetto while the wet tracks keep happening in New Zealand will cash in as mud is his friend and being able to sit poised means track bias can always be countered one way or another. Authentic Paddy had forgotten how to win and relished meeting such an inferior line up while the placing of Rosewood and the fourth finish of Our Bandit highlighted the lack of real depth in the race. Francaletta needs cut in the ground but not a bog and her distance range is still not known but she can be forgiven as second up and seasoned runners ruled the day mostly on such awful footing.