The winner of this G2 mile for all comers was the best weighted runner by miles in the Australian bred Demonetization that had run a close fourth in this very race back in 2019. The now 6yo gelding raced eleventh surrounded and then was steered wider across the top before improving quickly and deeper wider to reach fifth turning for home. Once angled very wide he reached second at the 200m and led at the 150m before drawing right away to win by four lengths and he clocked 1:38.72. The winners and where they came from on the home turn were third (three-off the fence and four lengths from the leader), second (three-off the fence and half a length from the leader), led (one-off the fence and two lengths from the leader), fifth (seven-off the fence and seven lengths from the leader), second (two-off the inside and a length from the leader), tenth (ten-off the inside and five lengths from the leader), sixth (eight-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), fifth (twelve-off the inside and three and a half lengths from the leader) and fifth (thirteen-off the inside and length and a half from the leader). Today was the seventh in twenty-seven outings for Demonetization and this is his second win at G2 to go with his 3yo success, also here at Ellerslie and on Slow footing too. He really was a weight special in a far from strong field and started a clear second favourite too. Second home was the $41 Hasabro that was having his first try at G2 having finished fourth at G3 as a 3yo in New Zealand and before that last of sixteen at Listed level in Australia. The now 5yo gelding set the pace and was deliberately steered centre track the run home when kicking clear but could not repel the winner at the 150m. Third home was Marroni, ridden by the apprentice Masa Hashizume, that raced fourth the outer across the top before moving into second across the top. He tried hard from third at the 200m and when you consider this was his first attempt at Blacktype and at his thirteenth ever start it augurs well for his future. Fourth home was the Australian bred Red Hussar with the 4yo gelding having his seventeenth start today and second ever G2 outing having run sixth as a 3yo in this grade. He raced ninth today mostly and then was eleventh turning for home before coming through and reaching fifth at the 200m then grabbing fourth the final 50m. He was beaten seven and a half lengths so there was a decent gap between him and the second and third runners. Fifth home was Go Nicholas with the 9yo racing third wide then second deep midrace before being third wide again across the top. He was fourth at the 200m but the effort told and he finished fifth beaten over eight and a quarter lengths. Sixth home was Gino Severini with the Irish bred 7yo having raced back and wide albeit with cover and then he copped crowding near the home turn before boxing on to be beaten just under nine lengths. Seventh home was Sonofabutcher that raced second last and was taken deep on the home turn to be beaten just under eleven lengths. The next runner home was the odds on favourite Markus Aurelius ($1.90) that raced sixth surrounded and then was fifth in traffic across the top and reached fourth turning home but he battled the final 200m and was beaten over eleven lengths. The rest got beaten fourteen lengths and as much as over twenty-six lengths with that going to the G1 Auckland Cup (3200m) winner here last year in Roger That, which was also ridden by the apprentice Hazel Schofer. This was not a strong G2 field at all and too many of the field never copped the tricky Slow9 footing at all and were labouring near the home turn and really hit the wall the run in. The winner Demonetization was a handicapping special and showed it at the line. Three starts ago at the start of this year he ran second at G2 here and only had half a kilo more today. Five runs ago last November he ran fourth at G2 under WFA and carried 58kg that day, so his form has always been good this season. The track presented today was very dubious and five of the nine winners paid double figures (from $15 to $25 to $28 to $29 to $75). It is very noteworthy that four of these five bigger priced winners were ridden by apprentice riders.