This G1 at WFA over 2040m saw a very easy win to the six-year-old mare Melody Belle that started odds on and won by almost three lengths in very sedate 2:10.12 on a Slow8 track. She is now seven wins and no defeats here at Hastings. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were sixth (five-off the off the inside and two lengths from the leader), fourth (eight-off the inside and half a length from the leader), eighth (five-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), tenth (seven-off the inside and four and a half lengths from the leader), fifth (four-wide off the inside and two lengths from the leader), third (two-off the inside and half a length from the leader), led (two-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), sixth (nine-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), third (six-off the inside and length and a half from the leader) and eighth (one-off the inside and four lengths from the leader). Melody Belle was ridden cold back thirteenth early then moved into the wide train with cover to be eleventh midrace and then swept up wider to be seventh and deepest turning in. It was then she surged and outclassed her opposition to lead at the 250m and won easily. She was not competitive in Sydney for two runs this campaign (she had been in four runs prior been outclassed once in Sydney and before that had run fourth at G1 in the same place and then in Melbourne twice had run third at G1 behind lesser lights) before being sent home and has won two G1 races since to show the lack of depth that exists here in New Zealand. Before her six runs in Australia for two thirds and a fourth she had raced twice in Melbourne last Spring for a win at G1 against a very weak fillies and mares only field and then ran second at G1 against all comers over 2000m (the race that is now an afterthought at the end of the Cup week in Flemington), so she is yet to win at G1 against all comers outside of New Zealand. Today was her seventeenth win in thirty-four starts and the opposition is just as inferior as it was a couple of years ago, so nothing has really changed. Advantage, the Australian bred stablemate and a year younger, ran second after racing handy on the inner and she has placed in all three legs of this Triple Crown. Third home at $106 a win and flying at the finish was the French bred Vadavar that raced well back and was still twelfth turning for home but fair flew late to get third the final 75m. It was his first run at G1 and at his just tenth start so he has it all ahead if the six-year-old entire stays sound but it did at least ensure his stud career. Dolcetto boomed home widest out for fourth beaten just under five lengths and he was thirteen and wide turning for home. Two Illicit the third favourite raced handy early then settled sixth before being eighth midrace and she came through to fifth at the 200m and fourth at the 100m only to lose that spot on the line. Pris De Fer ran a brave sixth after being used up early to go up second the outer and he was still third at the 100m before wilting a tad. Next home at $54 was Ocean Billy, which was trapped wide eighth and the got sent up four-wide to be fourth at the 800m before the rider decided to take the front and slip two lengths clear across the top. He weakened once headed at the 300m but to finish seventh beaten five and a half lengths was still very brave indeed. Vancooga, a one-win galloper and the second least experienced runner in the field bar the third finisher, fought on for eighth after being ridden tenth and then going wide across the top and up even deeper turning in. Tiptronic was ninth after settling down handy wide with cover and coming up deeper fourth turning for home. Beyond The Fort ran on from last across the top on the inner while Beauden from midfield the inner weakened out. The next four home finished within two lengths of each other and the last runner home and was an outclassed Livin' On A Prayer that was beaten over sixteen lengths. The winner Melody Belle is still a class above her rivals in New Zealand but until (if) she gets that G1 against all comers in Australia she will always have that significant mark against her. The planning now is to find a soft G1 against all comers in Australia and in this strange year of 2020 there seems to be so many of them. This was run and won in one the slowest times ever and you have to go back over 30 years to find a slower time, so the depth is not improving. The six winners before the now dual winning Melody Belle all got creamed in Australia or never got over the ditch a snot good enough, so the race has been bereft of seriousness for quite a while. You have to go back to 2011 and Jimmy Choux to find a winner that scored in Australia at G1 but it came as a 3yo, so was an age group win and is not against all comers. This race has not had a serious winner since Solvit in 1994 that won a G1 Cox Plate afterwards and two years before him the mighty Veandercross would win this race before going on to greatness in Australia the next few seasons. This was too easy for Melody Belle and the fact that two runners at over $100 ran on super for third and fourth sums up the race and result.