This Listed 3yo filly only 2000m saw another tight finish and a nostril flare separated the first two over the line with a protest to boot of second versus first to add some Mainland theatre to the occasion. The 3yo filly race over a mile held here two weeks prior saw noses separate four fillies at the line. Today one of those fillies beaten two noses into third that day came out and won by the barest margin namely Courte Zarindi. She raced eighth between runners in a solidly run race and then eased out sixth wide with cover across the top before being wider near the home turn. This point of the race was pivotal as her rider kept in the favourite Caricature on her inner that was desperately trying to push out aggressively. That tight racing and keeping Caricature in saw an apprentice rider Tina Comignaghi totally school an experienced senior rider in Jonathan Parkes deluxe. Courte Zarindi moved up fourth turning in and surged to lead at the 300m then went clear only for a serious challenger to come for a ding donger battle at the 100m. She scored by the proverbial nose and clocked 2:02.97 then withstood a protest by the runner up Z a Za Gabor, a maiden. It was the fourth win in fourteen starts by Courte Zarindi and in her last four runs, all at Listed level, she has run third, first, third and now first. Za Za Gabor, an Australian bred filly, is a maiden and until today had run one second placing from six starts. Her three runs prior to today had come at G3 twice and Listed level once. The filly has had some bad barriers this year including today as well and after getting back on the inner was worked off midrace and then improved wide across the top. She came up fifth turning for home then surged into second at the 300m before challenging at the 100m and being involved in a deadset doing donger. Za Za Gabor would be odds on back to maidens over ground. Wee Gully, a last start maiden winner in the North Island over 2200m showed the visit was worthwhile with a close up Listed third gained and her closing finish was very stout. She settled well back the inner then worked off midrace and turning for home tenth but unleashing and reached fourth at the 200m before getting into third soon after. At the line she was just a neck from the runner up and a nose from victory. Pinup Coup ran a solid fourth after settling back and found the line well but was over a length away from the third finisher. Kiwi Ida, an Australian bred, ran on okay from back and wide, so while not a real stayer she can if ridden quietly find the line. She was almost three and a half lengths from the winner at the line. Beneficial ran on well from the rear duo with a rail hugging ride. Mercy Hill, an Australian bred last start maiden winner in the North Island, ran an unsung seventh beaten just over four and a half lengths. The filly was trapped wide the whole way and moved up third across the top and then had the audacity to lead early the run home. She may well have won or at least been in the money but for covering the world without any cover deep the whole way. Respin was running on okay late from well back and Podravina wilted after racing handy the outer. Greenpark Gem was running very late from the rear duo and had played up before loading. Mossy Creek was not too bad but the favourite Caricature was a poor twelfth beaten seven and a half lengths after racing seventh the outer. As with many fillies she despised being used to push out a rival aggressively (it happened to be the eventual winner) near the home turn and it backfired big time as once kept in and in tight quarters she surrendered in defeat. It is always good to see an apprentice put a senior rider back in their box that was trying to dominate and bully by reputation and it was the key moment of the race when the pupil Tina schooled the teacher Jonathan big time. The leader Fictitious stopped and the other three runners compounded badly and were beaten over fourteen lengths up to twenty-four lengths. Just how strong and meaningful this race was and will be is doubtful as the second finisher was a maiden and former North Island trained filly and the third finisher a North Island trained filly just out of maidens. Another filly trained in the North Island and just out of maidens in Mercy Hill sat wide in the open the whole way and wilted unsurprisingly to seventh when a lesser filly would have dropped right out. There looked to be a lot of fillies in this way over the top and they should have been in their boxes spelling weeks or months ago. Also some of these are not really middle distance types but they were hoping to fluke a blacktype placing. Pinup Coup, Respin and Greenpark Gem are a trio from the race outside the top three that can be followed with confidence next season.