Australian bred runners finished first and third in a disappointing field especially for size and overall strength. The amount of Australian bred runners in juvenile and three-year-old racing in New Zealand now are massive in numbers and getting a feast of G1 results too. They had the runner up in this race last year and got the quinella in 2011. Australian bred runners have won the race now six times this century (they have won five of the last seven runnings in a real wake up call for breeders and sales folk). The winner Atlante today has upside and the race finish was almost the changing of the guard for sire domination as son of Fastnet Rock beat a son of Zabeel. Fastnet Rock is now the super sire of the Southern Hemisphere well and truly. Atlante was recording a first win in this race for part trainer Murray Baker, which is amazing in itself considering what he has already won in New Zealand and Australia. It was the fifth win in the race for jockey Opie Bosson. He earned every cent of his percentage as Atlante hung out badly the run home and would have won by a lot more than three quarters of a lengths had he stayed on an even keel. The winning time of 1:36.47 is nothing flash and just the tenth fastest this century. The field this year was alarmingly small and contained some maidens with no hope and a couple of over-ambitious South Islanders so will not be a high-figure rating race. Alarm bells should be ringing at NZTR as the G1 1000 Guineas for fillies next week will have a single figure number of runners. It is impossible to argue one runner is scaring away the numbers as that is like using the GFC or dollar conversion or weather as an excuse! Three of the four top chances for the G1 1000 Guineas next week are Australian bred fillies. Chambord looked the winner at the 200m before Atlante dug in and drew away on class. He is a son of Zabeel and will surely be on Derby path for the autumn. Gobi Dancer had every chance in the trail. Puccini, a son of Encosta De Lago, ran a very good race for fourth and he has some scope to go a lot further this season. Two disappointments were Burnt Orange and especially Sacred Park, with the latter after a tardy start then getting outside the winner he weakened badly the closing stages. He may not be a hard track colt. The slaughter of the race for the second G1 race in a row goes to jockey Hayden Tinsley, who once again was caught wide the whole way on Weregoingtogetcha and must still be having Survived nightmares. A riding change is likely for that colt next time he races plus he will sleep well too! Overall the race standard for 2013 was poor but the first two home and the fourth finisher are names to follow for the rest of this season.