TThe NZ Oaks is always a rewarding race for all the key facets of a racing season in that bettors get reliable formlines to follow out of the race and for several more seasons plus breeders get their portfolio boosted and vendors get catalogues bulging with more trusted blacktype. Artistic won by a nose over the favourite Zurella, so bettors slightly peeved but then The Oaks Stud got the quinella so plenty of grins and gulps of gins. The winning time of 2:28.39 was the fourth fastest this century, with only Wharite Princess in 2004 (2:26.88), Bramble Rose in 2003 (2:27.71) and Tapildo in 2001 (2:28.05) going quicker. Poignantly those three quicker times was when the Oaks was run in January (summer) rather than gambling on the weather in autumn, which is something affecting greatly the NZ Derby and Auckland Cup nowadays (both once successful summer races). Trentham and Ellerslie could easily both go back to something that was never broken but then that would require admitting a mistake, so global cooling is more likely to happen beforehand! The first two home both had good runs throughout and were trained by Shaune Ritchie, who won this race in 2010 with Keep The Peace. The third and fourth finishers Quintessential and Poste Restante were the rear duo for the first mile of the event and both found the line generously. If you could take one home from the race that did not pay a dividend then it was certainly Manhattan Mam, which ran home like a real good sort in the making for sixth. She is a half sister to December Draw that came from Europe to Melbourne and last autumn, winter and spring won five of seven starts including at G1 and G3. A couple of the G1 fillies from Riccarton in the spring on a wet track in Planet Rock (winner) and Capital Diamond (third) flopped, with the former a bad last today looking tired and a non-stayer and the latter just did not stay and looked jaded the run home finishing ninth. Once again that 2400m goldmine that never closes in Zabeel and his daddy Sir Tristram had something to say at the finish. Artistic the winner is by the in form sire Darci Brahma, which is out of the Zabeel dam Grand Echezeaux. Zurella the runner up is by Zabeel. Quintessential the third finisher is by the sire Fast ‘N’ Famous, which is out of the Zabeel dam Zalinda. Poste Restante the fourth finisher has a second dam of Miss Tee that is by Sir Tristram. Joy’s Choice the fifth finisher is out of the Zabeel dam Tricia Ann. Who needs form when you just find all the Zabeel and Sir Tristram lineage and box the lot for what seems a guaranteed return in mile and a half Group races.