It was not a vintage field for depth at all this year the G1 Auckland Cup (3200m) with the top two saddlecloths in Surpass (a midweek stayer in Australia) and the 9yo Blood Brother evidence all by itself. The positives are however the winner was a 4yo mare in Rock Diva and she clocked 3:21.74 which while not great does make some times posted since this race was moved from a New Years Day date seem appalling. The Auckland Cup has been synonymous and successful for many decades when run on New Years Day with the feature G1 sprint the Railway Handicap. The Railway is still on the first day of each year but held under set weights and penalties and the Cup is now early autumn and midweek on a non-holiday date. Rock Diva came from last so no excuses fro the rest and enjoyed having a light weight of 52kg (the minimum in a compressed scale these days). She had been running well all season but it needs to be pointed out was yet to win so her timing is impeccable at start number seven and it came at G1. King Kamada after a soft run the fence led at the 100m and looked likely to win but was buried the final 50m. He struggled badly when tried in Australia last spring with five starts returning a fourth, two sevenths, a tenth and a twelfth and that is the reality check. Pondarosa Miss was a game third and the mare having to give the winner 3.5kg turned out to be the key factor as she settled in the rear trio too. Show The World kept coming for fourth and being a 4yo he has improvement still to come as a stayer but also bear in mind he flopped in Australia badly in all four starts as a 3yo over the autumn. El Soldado has finished second this race before but that came in 2013 behind Sangster and he is now an 8yo that is jumping these days too. He kicked clear turning for home after overtaking the leader and only got swamped the final 100m so the depth of the field is almost shown up by what he did alone. Benzini did not quite stay the two miles and Graphic was asked too much of while She’s Insatiable got galloped on so was not too bad. Blood Brother the 9yo was the deepest runner turning for home and finished ninth beaten just under five lengths and that is a form worth worry. The rest either did not stay or had too much weight. The winner would need to find twenty four lengths or four seconds to match the winner of the G1 Melbourne Cup last year Protectionist and remember he won by four lengths and had heaps up the sleeve. Rock Diva does have one thing in her favour though and that is the second part of her name with Makybe at the front won three Melbourne Cups in a row!