This G2 2400m Open Handicap saw the rear duo on settling form the quinella and in fact the third finisher was last and deepest at the 600m, so the track at Ellerslie was a biased swamp at this stage. Zacada, just a three-win galloper before today, which in his prior run finished a battling fifth at G3 over 2400m, absolutely outclassed these in the wet. The 5yo gelding was in the rear duo and only got sent wider across the top before swimming up into third near the home turn and took the lead at the 200m. He won by two lengths in 2:32.33 and was recording his fourth win from twenty-seven starts so his win strike rate is ordinary. However he is unbeaten on slow or worse footing so the son of Zabeel is in fact a deadset swimmer contrary to how his stable have placed him for a couple of seasons. Wildflower, a four-win 5yo mare ran on well closer in for second and she loved the wet ground as her record shows of seven runs on slow or heavy footing for a win, four placings and a fourth (beaten just over a length) and a fifth (beaten just over a length). Five To Midnight was back on settling then wide midrace before ending last across the top as others made a move. He swam up quickly deeper to fifth turning in and kept coming to get third the final 50m and was only half a length from second money. He is currently a very fit stayer and will be in all the Cups over summer and early Autumn, as he was last season. Sofia Rosa finished fifth beaten just under four lengths but the 5yo mare was ridden upside down and asked an incredible amount of at her first 2400m since her 3yo filly days. She was tenth early then sent up very deep midrace and attacking across the top only then to take a clear lead before the home turn, so she was the ultimate sitting duck thereafter. Once headed at the 300m she was still third with 100m to go but the overland effort and premature launch point took a toll. She may well have won this race if not let go so wide and such a long way from home, as in all her prior career was a backrunner but only asked for one surge near the home turn and never cut loose midrace. Comin’ Through, a three-win gelding that was rising multiple classes on a last start distant fourth, raced handy the inner and then with four others challenged for the lead across the top. He reached second near the home turn and was still fourth at the 200m but then his rider dropped the whip, so he ended up fifth beaten five lengths. Highlad was wide in the midfield throughout and struggled home a distant sixth while Kachhi, a two-win 4yo mare, plugged away closest in for sixth beaten just over ten lengths. Benzini was eighth beaten ten and a half lengths and the 8yo is known to have a strong finish but even he could not unleash in the Ellerslie gruel today. The rest stopped badly and were beaten before the home turn and staggered home over twenty-one lengths behind and up to over fifty-two lengths in arrears at the line. The staying ranks have never been more dubious and having turns is the raffle-effect of mediocre depth as it depends on the presentation of tracks and manmade bias (created by so many unnecessary rail movements throughout each season) and of course race pace. The one underlying certainty is there are no serious stayers at the moment racing in New Zealand over Summer and the depth is non-existent locally all year around in fact. If this race was run on reasonable footing the result is different for sure and the margins of defeat nowhere near so massive. Once you get to 2400m or more then no staying race in New Zealand for older horses can be taken seriously anymore and it has been that way for a very long time sadly.