This G2 3yo filly 2000m event was run on an Ellerslie track that was biased already towards the middle and wider the run home after looking very ordinary visually from the outset of this meeting. It started dry but after this a downpour collapsed the track incredibly quickly into an even more biased holding bog and the rest of the day after this saw a slow quagmire on display. Hello It’s Me sat fifth or sixth the inner and worked off importantly before the home turn. She came through early the run home and reached third at the 200m and then challenged at the 100m before taking the lead with 50m to go. Such was her stamina dominance the closing stages she won by over a length and clocked 2:06.38, which is nothing to write home about. It was her second win in five starts and first piece of blacktype at her third attempt. The second dam of Hello It’s Me is Crysell Way and she left Kaapstad Way (9 wins) so she has the breeding to be a Derby (more likely at this stage) and Oaks contender. Kaapstad Way had fifteen starts at G1 for five placing and one of those came in the record run 2000 Caulfield Cup (2400m) behind Diatribe plus it should be added he finished fourth to Brew in the Melbourne Cup that year too. A couple of his G1 placings came behind the great Northerly, who left-handed could brawl with the best and was a brutal cage fighter at the highest level. Contessa Vanessa had every chance from the trail and ran a sound second after taking the lead 250m out. Marcellina, a maiden, ran home stoutly down the outer from well back and she has Oaks written all over her already. Mark Two was an eyecatcher as well and this maiden filly also was a tad unlucky as she got back and then hampered at the 300m looking for a clear path through. She looks an Oaks player at least having as her second dam the champion filly Zepherin, which was a short head and a nose from winning the 1983 NZ Derby and would bolt away with the NZ Oaks a month later. Gris Dame ran a sound fifth beaten just over two lengths after sitting ninth then moving wide across the top and coming up deep into fourth turning for home. Lily The Pink wilted a tad after racing fourth then striding up to lead at the 350m. Pont Alma, a maiden, ran home eyecatchingly down the outside from last to finish seventh beaten four and a half lengths and she is from a Zabeel dam and that is the gold standard Oaks pointer. Fiscal Fantasy plugged on closer in for eighth and Alternative Fact was next home a battling ninth. The rest got beaten by some big margins from almost fourteen lengths up to a massive thirty-five lengths and have extreme stamina doubts at Group level, so they might be competitive still in maiden and Benchmark 65/75 grade. Hello It’s Me will now see her age group on the other side in the Derby, with the Oaks a fall back plan in New Zealand but the Oaks in Sydney is the more likely path then. Three maiden fillies came out of this with huge flashing stamina lights in Marcellina, Mark Two and Pont Alma, so jot them down now and prosper for the rest of this season.