The two best runners on paper were fillies and they formed the quinella with Habibi getting a much easier trip to outfinish Fix the closing stages and clock 2:27.58. The time is the third quickest in eight runnings since it got moved to a first Saturday in March date with the fastest running coming from the Aussie raider Redoute’s Dancer (2:27.24) and it never won another race. In the eight runnings since moved from the traditional Boxing Day date that was not broken at all and in fact admired there have been half the times run on wet ground or a bog. The new date is clearly beneficial to fillies that with the extra seven weeks to develop more could now dominate this race. Fillies and mares are dominant in a New Zealand racing season because they get every single piece of help possible and of course can run in almost anything unlike the blokes. Only three fillies have won the Derby since 1980 until 2005 on Boxing Day and they were Our Flight (1983), Tidal Light (1987) and Popsy (1994) and the first two names were absolute top shelf. The guaranteed form race of a season for years to come has been the G1 NZ Oaks, which now must have sponsors worried, as the Derby is lowering the field strength and surprisingly this has not (yet) annoyed the power brokers. Habibi is not going for the G1 NZ Oaks but for the more breeding catalogue attractive G1 ATC Oaks in Sydney so these date moves by clubs have repercussions and unintended consequences. Vinny Colgan was winning his fifth Derby atop Habibi but is now taking up a contract to ride in South Australia for Tony McEvoy so the earning worth is clearly not viable in New Zealand anymore. It was a first Derby for Team Logan and Ruakaka most likely. Whether the filly can stay as good as some at Randwick is an unknown as the stamina depth in the 2013 field today is far from convincing. Fix the runner up is not stayer period and will never run over the trip next season, as it is her class against her own age that is getting her into the finish. If she was not wide for almost half the race and then asked to move before the home turn (used up twice) she almost certainly would have won. Castlzeberg led as expected but may have got worked a bit by a longshot though he settled into his own rhythm for the last mile and kicked clear turning for home. He looked a one-batter the closing stages and may in fact not be a genuine stayer but his racing style can mask that though for how long is unknown. The most alarming form perspective is the fourth of Saint Kitt at 124-1 as he ran on like a stayer and lost no ground on the bigger names ahead of him. Choice Bro is not a stayer and never will be but ran on gamely for fifth, while King Kamada caught the eye for sixth and looks a nice type for next season. Alert is bred to stay and will get stronger when seventh, while The Grinner ground home like he will make it when fully mature. Soriano was ridden up too handy to ever stay and Addictive Habit is a wet tracker. Weissmuller is big and strong and will win several more races but needs cut in the ground at least and a left-hand track at this stage. Many others would have slept well and will never attempt a mile and a half ever again. Very safe to assume the two best Group performers in the 2013 Derby formed the quinella and get used to fillies dominating this race if the Oaks is shunned as a primary target. If the lads are not scary then the gals will sense weakness and show them up plus they are now on a hattrick for 2014.