This G2 1400m for fillies and mares under set weights and penalties saw the Australian bred 5yo mare Volpe Veloce win narrowly. This six-race twilight meeting at Ellerslie, with five of the events at Blacktype, saw Australian breds win half the card ominously on a track presented as Dead4 so the times never got too quick. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were fourth (five-off the fence and half a length from the leader), seventh (on the fence and five lengths from the leader), second (three-off the fence and a neck from the leader), tenth (ten-wide (deepest turning in) and three lengths from the leader), eighth (four-off the fence and three lengths from the leader) and fifth (six-off the fence and half a length from the leader). No leader won all day/twilight strangely as a couple of races were very sedate contests but with this track over-watering they never seem to get it quite right regarding manmade track bias. Volpe Veloce was the lone G1 winner in the race so look pitch-forked in at 58kg against her own sex and started at just over even money. The 5yo mare lost a handy place initially and was eighth between runners in a precarious position midrace and even turning for home but once she found clear air surged at the 300m. She was second at the 150m setting out after a rival with 3kg less that had shot clear and finally got her the final 5m. Volpe Veloce won by a head in 1:22.81 to record her eleventh win in twenty-one starts she has a decent victory ratio and scored on all types of footing. Sleeping Beauty prior to today had run sixth in the G1 Railway (1200m) here on New Years Day with 3kg less than Volpe Veloce that ran fourth and was one and three-quarters lengths ahead at the line. So today with the same gap of 3kg it made Volpe Veloce a weight special but the margin with 200m was down to a head plus both had to carry 2kg. She raced third the inner and was off and second turning then led at the 300m and shot clear looking the winner even with 100m to go but one danger was coming and she got rolled the last little bit. Yearn was a distant third (four lengths away) but did well after being seventh and wide as she kept coming gamely. Le Castile fought well for fourth and narrowly missed third at what was her second Group attempt after a decent G3 eighth last season. Calligraphy was a nose and a head from third and did well late after settling down tenth then being last turning for home. Monrecur was a lip further back after racing sixth the inner and she very briefly reached third at the 100m. Bisou Bisou was last on settling and when worked off the run home came through with something to offer but the door slammed ahead at the 150m so she is a forgive. Indecision was very wide working to the lead and then when she got it was let run along before being headed at the 300m to weaken markedly and once again the 1400m is a bridge a fraction too far. The rest were beaten seven lengths and up too and over nineteen lengths. The first two home in this ran fourth and sixth in the G1 Railway but also that ran in the same race was Indecision (fifth) and she ran eighth today beaten almost six and a half lengths and Livin' On A Prayer (eleventh) and she ran last today beaten over nineteen lengths. This was not a G2 strength field and G3 at best plus the barrier draws decided this and the weight scale of set weights and penalties.