Puccini had to win this or else his campaign this year may have been over. He did it upside down after an average start and settling further back the outer than the trainers wanted and the rider expected. Every inch of the home straight was needed to pick up the leaders and score on the line by a whisker. Not much has been learned since his last start crushing defeat after being found out by Weismuller running along and forcing him to chase a decent clip at 2040m. The test will be back to middle distance and likely at WFA but with the depth suspect at the moment there is some easy pickings on paper in the next few months. Kisses was super in defeat and the mare with an ounce of luck should have won her last two outings. Better Keeper was a sound third after being unlucky at her prior run when poorly ridden tactically. Centre Attention led up and was beaten a length which puts this race and strength into true perspective as while a fair sort he came in to this G3 mile as a three race winner. Julinsky Prince is a suspect weight carrier and ran just fair fifth. Marotiri Miss ran on okay and was one of the better efforts overall. Tyne Cot was atrocious and the bad ride tactically did not help. The winning time of 1:35.01 is not a fantastic time but in the context of the race it did still allow the favourite to get up. Up until this four winners had raced in or near the pace with two of those leading so the track bias was in play for one turn races today. Puccini will find out at WFA if he is a force as a 4yo next and that should come at home in New Zealand still. There is no proof yet he can cope in Australia where the blowtorch will be applied a lot more and over half his rivals can run closing sectionals the same as him and many of them ever faster. Some 2000m events over summer seem to be there for the taking at Ellerslie and Te Rapa under WFA but first he may tackle another mile at Trentham at G1. He has won at G1 (NZ Derby) at Ellerslie and G2 (Waikato Guineas (at Te Rapa) so why not stick to the tracks and associated manmade biases that suit him best.