This Listed 1200m Open Handicap showed the sprinting ranks have become a rather bare cupboard at the moment with an 8yo carrying topweight scoring. Speech Craft under 60kg and second up had not won a race for almost a year but came from midfield the inner and drove through between runners to get up late once into clear air. He won by a head at $37 a win in 1:09.41 and beat the favourite in what was a stirring finish with less than a length covering the first four home and less than a length and three-quarters covering the first nine home. It was the seventh win from forty starts for Speech Craft and incredibly his first ever blacktype success having never even placed before at Stakes level. Snowdrop had every conceivable chance from sitting third and led at the 50m but threats were coming either side of the 4yo mare. She may have felt the 57kg as could not ping away from them but she does drop 4kg for the G1 Railway here on New Years Day. Biggin Hill the 7yo pierced through well late for third under 58kg for his twenty-second placing. Fully Funded ran on well for fourth under 59kg as did Somethingvain for fifth. Rocanto was the actual best unheralded effort overall in the event when sixth beaten less than a length and a half as he was asked an incredible amount of early and across the top. The 4yo was tardy then got send up very fast to lead clearly at the 800m and then was let roll for a long time after that so in effect had no real breather at any point. He was headed at the 300m but would not lay down and was a close second still at the 100m so the effort was stupendous but also a possible gut buster. Volks Lightning ran on very well from the back down the outer after being ridden cold. Snapshot fought on okay the inside under 59kg for ninth from handy the inner while Chachar, the chaser of the leader, led at the 300m and 100m but was swamped late. Fire Jet was running on shade late but detached from the first pack over the line. This was a suspect field on paper and proved to be with such a bunched finish in the main. Snow Drop, Rocanto and Volks Lightning, the 4yo’s, would be the takeaway trio from the field next time seen out or later in the season as sprinters.