The Listed 2yo event over 1200m saw a filly paying $32 score easily from a good draw in a modest time only. Melody Belle from barrier three ended up sitting fourth the outer in a great spot in a far from testing run race, which is the richest event held in an entire New Zealand season and is for specific eligible juveniles only. It was her second win in four starts and a first blacktype success that goes with a G2 placing achieved as well plus she was scoring today for the first time at 1200m. The length and a quarter win came in 1:10.95, which is an ordinary time to say the least and was three lengths slower than the opening race on the card, a Special Conditions event. The off course sub Hasahalo ran home powerfully as usual for second from an awkward draw after getting back and the filly has come good this year. Felton Road, a heavily backed third favourite ran on well and probably getting back one pairing further than expected cost him a win chance. He drew the ace and after looking likely to trail the leaders ended up sixth and in standardbred terms three back the fence. After working off turning for home he surged but the winner had long gone, so to get within just have a length and a half was commendable. Three of the first four home drew three of the four inside gates and Princess Rihanna ran a good fourth but she too was an unfortunate victim too. The filly from barrier four got over and into the trail, so pushed the third finisher back a pairing, but then she got held up and in badly when working off at the 300m. The next four runners home all ran super and were beaten between three lengths and three and three-quarter lengths from barrier six and three of the four outside gates. Star Treasure after being awkwardly away then hampered recovered eighth the inner and found the line nicely. Padraig, that almost started off-course sub, settled in the rear duo the outer after an awkward start and came home resolutely but the overall race pace and time did not help his cause and of many others at all. Oscar Eight came from the rear duo on inner and found the line well considering he is still a maiden. Sophie’s Choice, also still a maiden, was a luckless eighth after getting back third last early then coming up the inside menacingly at the 300m only to find a messy rear end wall 100m later. She got going again well and looks a blacktype winner in waiting. Dijon Bleu and Gift Of Power ended up the co-leaders on settling and both when headed at the 300m copped a tightening soon after by the winner that ran inwards (the rider copped a 2K fine and was suspended for six riding days). They were not going well enough at the time to be in the finish but interference is interference and this is the richest race in a New Zealand season. Waldorf was crowded early then quickly recovered only to blunder so had two things against him after just 100m. He may be just a left-hander at this stage of the season so far. The two Australian trained runners that drew wide were poor after overland trips but clearly were not of the usual standard sent over and that have such a super record in the event. Global Thinking was poor for the third time in a row and something is clearly not right as she won on debut well enough. This did not look a super strong field on paper or the computer screen but being juveniles and only for runners from a specific sales series always means you may or may not be ever seeing the best of this age. It is not open to all comers so can never be on a par with the two G1 juvenile races only held in a New Zealand season. A lot of these runners had raced each other before and beaten the other and so and so, which means there has been no stand out juvenile so far though that can change in the Autumn. This will be a lucrative source of future winners in all manner of grades as many of them are well bred and have bloodlines to perform better when they are a year older.