The winner of this G1 Open Handicap at 3200m was the 5yo gelding Ocean Billy at 10-1 by almost two and a half lengths in 3:21 and he carried 56kg. He had been running cracking races and today he captured his seventh race from twenty starts and this was his second go at G1. Incredibly today was the sixth different rider he has won for (Jonathan Parkes was his rider) and the only jockey he was won twice for is an apprentice Callum Jones (one of his wins came at G3 for this 3kg claimer that could not have his claim on the day). The winners and where they came from on the home turn were seventh (seven-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), ninth (one-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), fourth (three-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), led (one-off the inside and a length in front), led (two-off the inside and a length in front), led (one-off the inside and a neck in front), seventh (eight-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), led (one-off the inside and half a lengths in front), led (four-off the inside and length and a half in front) and sixth (four-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader). Ocean Billy has been racing huge of late and working overtime in his races and today was no real difference except that he took off deep from fifteenth on settling and reached ninth wide with 1200m to go. He then was really cut loose and went up to third at the 600m and led before the home turn then held them all out comfortably in a superior display of stamina. The track record for 3200m at Ellerslie is 3:15.7 set by Sea Swift in 1988 carrying just 50.25kg. Today they ran about thirty two lengths inferior. Second home was the Australian bred 7yo gelding Charles Road that last won a race on September of 2018. He raced ninth or tenth wide with cover and then moved up fourth turning for home and kept coming to reach second with 20m to go. Third home was the favorite Sound with the German bred 8yo settling down last and then improving fast deep to get into fifth at the 500m and then reaching second at the 250m. He ran second in this race a year ago beaten less than a length where the winner clocked 3:19.96. Fourth home was Platinum Invador that ran on well from the rear trio and stayed the inside across the top before angling out wider the run home. He had finished third in this race last year and has not won a race since the New Years Day of 2020. There was a big gap back to the next runner in Daytona Red that finished fifth and beaten over seven and a quarter lengths. He settled last early and was running on okay but bear in mind he has not won a race since March of 2018. Sixth home was Vedo Rosso that got well back the inner and improved wide across the top and reached sixth turning for home. He ended up beaten seven and a half lengths. Seventh home was the winner of this last year in Roger That, which carried 3kg more, and after racing sixth wide with cover moved into fifth a lap out then lodged a bid across the top to lead briefly at the 500m. He was still third at the 250m but weakened to be beaten almost eight and a half lengths. Next home was Swords Drawn with the Australian bred racing midfield the inner them getting held up across the top before turning in twelfth and he plugged on. Lincoln King was next home in ninth after settling back on the inner and being second last at the 600m. He ran on a shade the widest to be beaten just over ten lengths. The rest got beaten almost eleven lengths and as far as almost one hundred and twenty-four and a half lengths. Robusto was a forgivable miss after losing her position badly across the top while Dance Card was held up across the top and is also excusable. Star Tsar was handy before leading then headed and raced third the outer before being in reverse across the top and ran a long last but was found to be mildly lame in the left hind leg. The Australian bred ran third favourite in the race. The winner is a superior stayer to what is going around at the moment and last years winner was up 3kg and beaten over eight lengths today plus and he ran just over a second faster last year. The stamina ranks in New Zealand are as sparse as they ever have been at the moment so no surprise a new kid on the block should salute today in the 5yo Ocean Billy.