The 2014 clearly lacked many serious stayers or actual distance bred 3yo gallopers as the gaps became vast the run home confirming quality prevailed rather than stamina. Over half the field were gone or really struggling before the home turn so would be categorized as milers at best. The fourth finisher for example was beaten over eight lengths with the eighth finisher across the line plugging away defeated a dozen lengths. The last couple were beaten out of sight at twenty-four and a half lengths and then forty-two lengths respectively. The winner Puccini basically ran the oxygen out of the lungs of all his rival with his ability to maintain the same clip for half a mile breaking the hearts of the opposition bar one. The runner up filly Rising Romance was actually stiff not to win as she hauled back a massive amount of lengths on the winner from the 600m to the line. Rising Romance would have (should have) made it three fillies in a row to win the Derby and it has become a female race with the date shift to the first week in March. Habibi won it last year and before that Silent Achiever. The Derby has been run in the early autumn since 2006 and in that period of nine runnings there have been four wet or rain-affected tracks showing this time of the year is a real weather risk. Puccini clocked today 2:28.39 and surprisingly for all the glory heaped on his win that is just the fifth fastest time since the move to a March date. The faster times are in order Redoute’s Dancer (2:27.24 in 2007), Wahid (2:27.42 in 2006), Habibi (2:27.58 in 2013) and Military Move (2:27.91 in 2010). Puccini and Rising Romance were massively superior to the rest and the lack of real stamina in the 2014 edition is also highlighted most by the third finisher Glorious Lad. He cannot stay and ran third beaten four and a half lengths after getting every conceivable chance. Glorious Lad is a 1600m to 2000m galloper at best but not a mile and a half or further stayer with his breeding screaming sprinter/miler too. Puccini was tardy and got well back early when a known leader or on pacer but they slackened the pace out of the straight the first time and almost every runner was over-racing. The winning of the race came starting the run down the backstraight as Michael Walker angled out aggressively and then went forward wide with cover. He then went deeper and strode up to not just sit outside the leader but keep the tempo constant from the 800m until near the home turn to find out the non-stayers of which there were many. Rising Romance lost the race at a similar time as unable to get out and going when her rider wanted and so ended up giving Puccini a massive start starting the final third of the event. Walker then caved in the leader near the home turn and drew away as almost the entire field stopped, could not go on or were down to a walk. As is his trait Puccini keeps going at the same bat for a long time and this should stand him in good stead into the future but it does put extra mileage on a galloper. Rising Romance once angled wider for clear air near the home turn then got bumped deeper by an unruly ridden rival that actually finished fifth in the end and did okay. It was the first G1 NZ Derby for Matamata father and son trainers Peter and Jacob McKay and the second in the race by rider Michael Walker. The pre-race talk was bullish by Walker bordering on arrogant and got even more so after the win as he stated this is the best horse in New Zealand and is the best horse he has ridden. He did pilot Darci Brahma eleven times for four wins (two at G1) and four placings (all four G1 seconds) so either he has a terrible memory or the excitement at the time got the better of him and led to such a massive over-statement. Walker has not been associated with a top liner for quite a while now so can be cut some slack for such bravado before and after the race. He is however laughing the loudest as he won the feature race. The wet tracker Kentucky Son running on the inside for a distant fourth does make the race suspect and even if you take out the top two it does belittle the rest. Kentucky Son had been beaten by colossal margins at G2 recently when last of fifteen runners each time. Weregoingtogetcha ran on late but was angled out abruptly and skittled several rivals so the rider Kelly Myers deservedly copped a holiday. Chipandchase ran on okay all things considered and Thorn Pass was not too bad from last on settling. The Fire Inside had a nightmare run for a filly so to beat six rivals home was probably more an indictment on them as stayers as she did end up fourteen lengths from the winner. Puccini has a readymade excuse if he goes to Sydney and gets found out as then tiredness and a hard campaign can be trotted out. He is a half brother to Sir Slick and not many raced as often as he so durability may well run in the family. Sir Slick however was demolished in Australia many times (twenty four starts for just four times third placed) and finished a fair fifth once in Singapore and last once at Hong Kong. Rising Romance is still on the up so she could give the fillies plenty to deal with but a rematch in the ATC Derby could be what Team Logan want the most against Puccini. The jump to lauding super stardom on the winner looks way too soon as the 2014 Derby field had no stamina depth whatsoever with only a handful being by stayer sires plus the time was not as quick as many suspected without checking historical records. Since this race was moved from Boxing Day, when the fillies had to be near champions to win, to the current early autumn date it is no surprise the female 3yo’s are cleaning up and will continue to do so. An unintended consequence too is the G1 NZ Oaks is losing its lustre fast from being one of the best and strongest races for form worth and breeding the next season and after in New Zealand. This can affect sales prices into the future too if the Trentham race is diluted into an afterthought behind the Derby so tired runners that have already peaked go around or worse still is aimed at by second stringers that could not compete at Ellerslie. This is where intended foresight by a few becomes poor sight for many as moving race dates or creating carnivals are supposed to enhance the racing calendar and certainly not weaken several other races. Trentham seems to be coping the full brunt of an Ellerslie slap down, with their Cup now G2 and a lead up to the G1 Auckland Cup, plus now the Derby is affecting the Oaks at the same track. It is clear to many that Trentham has given in far too meekly and it is disrespecting to all those serious winning names that came before as they would have at least asked or deserved for some sort of fight be shown. The form of Derby winners since the March move afterwards is a mixture of some success or total failure and also bad luck plus struggle. The first four winners of the Derby starting from 2006 have been three poor sorts since that included bad luck for two of them and one took an eternity to win another race. The last four winners have seen some success and as older horses too but injury and bad luck did strike the filly Habibi that won last year in a time five lengths superior to Puccini. Walker rode Military Move to win the 2010 Derby in a time two and a half lengths superior to Puccini and it went to Hong Kong and in nineteen starts only won and placed twice so was exposed. He is back racing well in New Zealand after he became uncompetitive at Happy Valley and Sha Tin. It is likely Glorious Lad will end up in Hong Kong as he simply cannot beat Puccini or Rising Romance home shown by the last two starts when a distant third each time. He can race for more money there and at a mile up to 2000m will suit him more too. Rising Romance can beat home Puccini if they clash again at middle distance or 2400m but may need a different rider as the Derby in Sydney is often a very tactical affair. Otherwise she will take on her own sex and they often struggle to get a decent sized filly field at Randwick or certainly one with excessive depth. Puccini will have a lead up run in Sydney before the ATC Derby if he comes through today okay and just how many times he can go to the well this season will soon be known.