This G2 2000m under set weights and penalties drew a very average line up and just nine runners went around. The winner in the end was Our Abbadean, a 5yo mare, and she was winning her first piece of blacktype after three attempts before all coming against her own sex for a fourth and two big flops in fifteenth and twelfth. The sheer fact she would win her first blacktype race against allcomers at G2 says it all regards the depth of New Zealand at the moment. The mare sat seventh the outer and went between runners across the top to reach fifth before unleashing the run home and she sustained her finish to get up with 15m to go. She won by a head in 2:02.97 and recorded her sixth win in twenty-two starts and has come of age since being stepped over ground. Her four races at 2000m or more have returned three wins and a second beaten a head, so this is indeed her striking zone. Five To Midnight has a reputation of being a bit of a gunner as he so often finishes runner up or places rather than wins and in almost half his starts so far that is the case. In his prior start to today he lost the G1 Auckland Cup (3200m) by a nasal hair carrying 56.5kg when sure to win 100m out it seemed but he also carried half a kilo overweight that day and for this type of galloper that is very significant indeed. It was a painful lesson regarding thinking extra weight does not matter as it most certainly does. Today he came back 1200m but also in grade and remarkably dropped half a kilo under the current scourge of New Zealand gallops, the set weights and penalties Open, that has weakened the depth to beyond belief. The 5yo gelding sat in the rear duo the inner and worked off and surged through ominously at the 300m and reached second at the 200m then led at the 150m. He looked sure to win but that broken record started playing again and he got caught and headed at the 15m, so despite fighting hard the same outcome happened. Five To Midnight today ran his third runner up in the last four starts and they have come at G1, G2 and G3 and the margins of defeat have been a nose, a head and a neck. Sampson won this last year and in fifteen runs since is yet to score again with just four placings being added in this busy at times schedule. He sat fourth the outer and kept boxing on to be beaten just over half a length. Authentic Paddy sat outside the leader and was always a length back as the speed was solid enough and no need to attack but he got to a neck back across the top. He hit his usual flat spot early the run home and was fourth at the 200m and one-battling but kept grinding away and finished fourth beaten just over a length and a half. Today was his fourteenth start this season that has yielded one win (at G1) and four placings G1 once and G3 twice). All In Vogue was trapped wide sixth or seventh and one-batted to finish a better fifth beaten four lengths than it reads or seems. Nymph Monte settled in the rear duo and plugged on but carried 56kg, the same weight as the runner up that had finished second at G1 prior beaten a nose, so was poorly in. Beefeater trailed the inner and weakened so does not look like he can stay on the basis of two flops at his last two starts over 2000m or maybe he has trained off at his ninth outing this season. Saint Emilion was a colossal flop as the almost even money favourite after leading and never being taken on one iota, so the rider either overdid the pace or the gelding is not genuine. The 6yo was a length in front for the first 1400m and a neck ahead at the 600m and no stage did Authentic Paddy attack him and the race replay shows it. Saint Emilion was headed before the home turn and gave in meekly, which he has done many times in his career inexplicably, to be beaten over ten lengths in what was a an ordinary field. In his prior start he led and won a G1 at WFA when left alone too and ran 2:02.47, so to puncture so badly today in a weaker field and down 1kg in a 2:02.97 won race is mindboggling. Blue Lagoon ran last and was outclassed being a Ratings 75 galloper (five or more grades inferior) running in his first ever blacktype race and it came at G2, which shows his stable thought this was a very weak field indeed too and had a cheeky throw at the stumps. This was not a G2 field and contained some out of form runners or some that had not won for ages and several in this had come to the end of long and busy seasons so were well and truly over the top.