This G3 mile Open Handicap under set weights and penalties saw just nine runners go to the post and a sedate run race eventuate with the clear favourite Love Affair scoring. The track today at Ellerslie was somehow allowed to be released as a Good3 but the times all day showed that was not believable whatsoever and the downgrade to a Dead4 and then later a Dead5 still seemed far from the mark. It was hard to make up too much ground all day and why so many riders came wider than necessary or steered wider is still a mystery as the shortest way home is often the only difference between many horses in ability. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were second (outer), fourth (three lengths from the leader), eighth (five lengths of leader), fourth (two lengths from leader), third (trailing leader), led (below standard time), third (length from the leader) and eighth (three lengths from the lead). Love Affair was seventh on settling and then sixth wide but with cover and not far away across the top then got sent up deeper to be an ominous third turning for home. She reached second at the 300m then took an eternity to run down a game runner up in Meeska Mooska and only got him the last 5m to score by a head in 1:36.74. The time was ordinary and the last race, a Benchmark 65 (six graces inferior) clocked 1:36.53 (just over a length superior). Love Affair carried the minimum of 53kg and was winning her sixth race from a dozen starts and today was her first win at the mile and her first Blacktype victory as well. She is lightly tried and has to be looked after soundness wise so any Group form addition to her resume is a bonus. Meeska Mooska, an 8yo, carried 55kg and improved from the back wide after 400m and moved into third wide midrace and across the top. He sustained that long run to lead at the 350m and gave a nice kick only to be collared the final 5m and this was his first dividend paid since October of last year. Tiptronic finish third a length and three-quarters in arrears after trailing the leaders. Elusive Treasure was noticed running on okay late for fourth after racing fifth the outer and being seventh turning for home. He too had 55kg in this G3 race and is just a three-race winner so was badly situated but is near some form clearly. Farm Boy was a battling away fifth and then there was a two and a half lengths gap back to Giovanni Canaletto the stayer second up after being away from the track for two and half years. Giovanni Canaletto was in the rear duo at the 800m so the race was not run to suit nor the track bias in his favour but this stayer will fear no stamina currently racing in New Zealand once he gets up into his realm of expertise. Our King Sway was ordinary but never seems to show his best at Ellerslie while Ronchi was dreadful after leading up after 400m. Seventeen Seventy was outclassed and after racing second the outer dropped out to be distant last beaten almost twenty lengths. This was not a true G3 field or result as the line-up was either ageing or limited in the main and while the best horse won, a gifted mare in Love Affair, she needed the length of the run home turn beat an 8yo that had before in multiple attempts at Blacktype never made the top three. Giovanni Canaletto is the stayer takeaway from the race and he can dish out a lesson when next seen out if over ground. Twice he has appeared third up for a G1 third in the Irish Derby (2400m) behind Jack Hobbs and Storm The Stars in August of 2015 and then a third in the G1 Hong Kong Derby (2000m) behind Werther and Victory Magic in March of 2016. Every Blacktype race held today in New Zealand were unsurprisingly won by female gallopers with a 3yo filly earlier here at Ellerslie and this 5yo mare Love Affair while the 6yo mare Glory Days won at Wanganui.