This was the 140th running of the Easter Handicap and is the final G1 of the New Zealand season. The finish this year was uber-bunched with less than a length between the first seven over the line and the top twelve were within three lengths. Sixteen of the eighteen-horse field were covered inside four lengths at the line. The winning time of 1:35.28 is ordinary and the race was quite sedate with the following event, a supposedly massively inferior Ratings 75, seeing the easy winner clock just a length lesser time for perspective. The Easter Handicap rarely is run at a gutbusting rate for some reason and at this time of the year an off or wet track is always on the seasonal cards. The time for Albany Reunion is just the ninth fastest this century so nothing special. The last three winners have started with the letter V namely Veyron twice and then Viadana last year so X is probably the only letter not to salute in this race that was first run in 1874 won by Batter. Only three female gallopers have won it this century so it is the most immune Open G1 race in a New Zealand season against the utter domination of fillies and mares across the board nowadays. Ellerslie once again presented a poor racing surface as the track was as usual biased beyond belief for a G1 day with the inside a total no man’s land. The way too quick to praise Trackside channel and hosts regarding track footing presented is definitely causing New Zealand turnover to sag dramatically and in particular the current crop. They keep saying and assuming tracks are perfect or racing fair when visually and factually race by race that is 100% wrong and beclowns such utterings. The customer should never be treated this way and taken for granted as track bias (manmade most of it with watering and rail movements) and poor venue presentation is rife at the moment so professionalism is not getting heard or seen to be done by bettors and that is a turnover killer. Half of every field or more today had no hope as the inside had way too slower lanes for a premier raceday so what was being broadcast and parroted is scandalous on G1 days in particular. The track being rated a generous as usual Dead5 was an insult to bettors who for some reason nowadays never get told the whole picture and they have to work it out for themselves. No leader won on the entire day so it was specifically a run on day where you needed cover and of course stay away from the now dreaded Ellerslie inner. Albany Reunion was the second or third worst ridden horse in the race but still won albeit by just half a head. The rider Mark Du Plessis sat wide in the open handy throughout on a 4yo having just his eighth start today and got away with the win. Australian bred runners ran first and third (Rollout The Carpet) and half a head and a nostril flare separated the trio over the line. The worst ridden runner by far was Zonza that finished thirteenth beaten just over three lengths as sitting four-wide in the open is unacceptable at G1 and the mare must have been cherry ripe to keep going. How else did she box on to finish that close after Leith Innes joined the growing club of G1 absolute howler rides for the season? The other tactically inept ride was Craig Grylls on Abidewithme that finished eighth beaten less than two lengths but his was solely a mistake from the home turn. Grylls has been having a wonder G1 season but his decision to stay the inside on the mare turning for home was a massive blunder when Ellerslie there all day and for several years now has been a total no go zone. Abidewithme got well back the inner after copping a bump early and then found trouble as you do in such a precarious position just over midrace but no one else but Grylls made her stay on the farcically slower inside lanes the run home. The mare up until today has raced four times at Ellerslie for three wins and a second so her record has been unfairly blemished. Chintz was stiff not to win and in one more stride would have. She got a shuffle back into traffic early after being ridden quieter than usual as she can lead or race close but it was the right tactic overall looking at the seven races prior on the day. Female gallopers finished second, third and fourth and all were half a length or less from winning. Shuka was big in running on under topweight and Little Wonder for a first mile crack at this level was beaten less than a length. Benzini was super to also be within a length and he could with an ounce of luck be unbeaten in two clockwise runs rather than a first relegated to second in one outing and the very close up seventh today down the outer. Abidewithme as discussed earlier was big but purely through rider error never got into the money or even won. Hard not to like Spitfire Lady being beaten just two lengths as she was ridden along early to settle close on settling plus the apprentice rider stayed nearer in the run home. Jetset Lad was okay considering he blew the start again by a few lengths. Zonza if they can wake her up after such an overland outing will win at her next start and only needs to be ridden half properly and perhaps a vet clearance for peace of mind. Danza Lad is set for a big winter and ran on okay the last little bit for a noted swimmer. Neo disappointed overall but boxed on like many late and Thy was not well ridden but she was okay the last 50m. Neena Rock is a left-hander only it seems though was in a very wide lane for much of the race while Maximum Heights is not a G1 galloper period. All in all the very bunched finish of the race is normally a depth worry but a couple of salient points are plenty of gallopers with some scope ran in the race and also it was not a truly run mile. The handicapping is suspect these days so the era of giant weight discrepancies does not exist anymore nor achieved greatness (Sleepy Fox won this four times in a row from 1944-1947). The last champion to win the race and in what is regarded as the wonder line up of all time in the event is Grey Way in 1977. Kindergarten a titan of the turf won it twice in a row in 1941-1942. The winner this year may in fact turn out to be just a sprinter but his trainer Nigel Tiley has serious faith in his impressively built charge. Tiley as rider won the G1 NZ Derby in 1980 aboard Ring The Bell for then trainer Neville Atkins and also won the then G1 Avondale Cup in 1979 on Mr Ay Bee for the late great trainer Ray Verner. He knows what a good horse is. Mark Du Plessis was winning his fifth G1 for the New Zealand season today but he will not want sit wide when the time comes for Albany Reunion to face the real deal in Australia or elsewhere.