This Listed Open Handicap over 2500m saw a very tight finish with the first four over the line covered by less than half a length and Duplicity getting the nod by half a head. The 7yo gelding prepared in the North Island raced fourth mostly and moved up wide near the home turn and led at the 400m before being headed at the 250m then dug deep to lead again narrowly at the 50m. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were fourth (on fence a length and a half from the leader), third (five-off the inside and a neck from the leader), fifth (one-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), fifth (five-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), eighth (three-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), fifth (on fence and four lengths from the leader), fifth (three-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), seventh (one-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), third (three-off the inside and a head from the leader) and second (one-off the inside and half a length from the leader. Duplicity outslugged his rivals and clocked a respectable 2:35.26 to win his sixth race from thirty-two starts plus today was his first Blacktype win. Dee And Gee is durable and tough and was brave in defeat today under 59kg where the 6yo mare gave the winner 2.5kg. She sat back second last then made a very wide run across the top and as she can do kept coming tooth and nail to the post. Soleseifei was a game third beaten half a head and half a head and the 7yo mare was seventh the inner then through third the inside before midrace and still trailed the leaders across the top albeit being fifth at this point. She was second at the 400m and led narrowly at the 250m before being headed at the 50m. Nymph Monte the 8yo gelding ran a blinder from last on settling under 58.5kg and made a move wide across the top sustaining the run to challenge deeper turning for home. He was fourth at the 150m and kept giving and coming to be only beaten two half heads and half a neck. Felaar started favourite narrowly from Soleseifei and after settling back was wide across the top and came up deeper and sixth turning for home. He reached fifth at the 100m and boxed on solidly enough under 58kg but the 6yo does seem now to be an always well backed but not quite good enough type. Zentessa ran on well from the back for a three-win mare while Chief Sequoyah, a two-win gelding, led up and weakened to be seventh beaten just over five lengths. Humble Pie a three-wine galloper was an average eighth beaten just over five lengths and King Of The Dance plugged on for ninth. The rest got beaten over eleven lengths and as much as eighteen lengths. It was not an overly strong field but did prove to be a good Summer Cups guide showing the stamina ranks are rather thin at the moment and have been for quite a while in New Zealand. The runner up in this would win the G3 New Zealand Cup (3200m) next week and the third finisher Soleseifei would win the G3 Wellington Cup (3200m) in January but both of them would get beaten out of sight in the G1 Auckland Cup (3200m). A lot of future jumpers went around in this Listed event and many in this did not appreciate the good footing either and needed rain-affected ground for sure to fully let go.