This Listed 2500m event under Open Handicap conditions saw the North Island trained 6yo mare Robusto sit fourth the outer then move up second midrace before taking the lead turning for home. She would hold a length margin at the line and clock 2:37.05. The winners and where they came from were led (on the fence by a neck), eleventh (five-off the inside and four lengths from the leader), sixth (six-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), eleventh (nine-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), led (one-off the inside and four lengths clear), fourth (on the inside and length and a half from the leader), third (three-off the inside and a long neck from the leader), ninth (five-off the fence and four lengths from the leader), fourteenth (six-off the inside and four lengths from the leader), led (a neck and one-off the inside) and fourth (one-off the inside and length and a half behind the leader). The three winners that led in the eleven-race card were either on the fence or one-off and three other winners were third (one) or fourth (two) and were on the inner or no worse than three-off. The other five winners came from sixth (six-off the inside and three lengths from the leader) all the way up to fourteenth (last and six-off the inside and four lengths from the leader. Robusto was winning her sixth race today from twenty-three starts and five of her six wins have come from 2000m to 2500m. She is a late bloomer too with five of the six wins coming this year. Her versatility is not in question either with her career so far including wins on good, dead, slow and heavy footing. Who Dares Wins at $29 ran a game second carrying topweight of 59kg so the South Island trained runner lugged 6kg more than the winner. He raced eighth wide then got over down the backtstraight and then came up sixth turning for home and kept trying hard to reach second the final 10m. The Good Fight ran home well from seventh the inner on settling and fifth the inner across the top. The 6yo gelding once worked off the inside came through strongly for third and was beaten just over a length. Fourth home was another North Islander in Lincoln King that raced twelfth the inner then worked off midrace only to be held up turning for home. The 6yo gelding ran home strongly to reach fourth the final 10m and was beaten just over a length as well. Fifth home was Beauty Star, the Australian bred that was wide third then got over and raced close until being fourth the outer across the top then came up third turning in. The 7yo gelding was still third at the 100m and got swamped late to finish fifth beaten just over a length and a half. Plushenko at $33 fought on well the inside for sixth beaten just under two and a half lengths after racing back thirteenth the fence then improving to be eighth turning for home. He would show the run was not a fluke by winning on the last day over the same trip. Baby Menaka was next home and beaten just two and a half lengths after racing sixth or seventh surrounded for the latter part of the race. Owen Patrick finished eighth beaten over three lengths from tenth the inner while Five Princes came from eleventh turning for home to finish to ninth and was beaten three and a half lengths. The next trio home got beaten five lengths to five and three quarter lengths with Sitarist and Hurry Cane both running on well. The rest got beaten almost seven lengths to just over ten lengths. Three well backed runners filled the last three spots home after settling there and they never really got into the race. This was an on pace finish almost entirely. Only one 4yo has won it this century with the other winners being aged as 5yo's and up to and including an 8yo.