This G3 Open Handicap mile was run at a sedate pace and saw two runners draw away to fight out the finish. The hot favourite Hiflyer sat fifth and was moved up four-off into fourth turning for home with the rider being over-confident and having not one but two looks too his right thinking nothing on his inner was as threat. The leader and eventual runner up Amarula soon wiped away that cockiness away when he kicked hard in a sprint home on the inner so Hi Flyer went from a narrow leader at the 200m to being in a deadest dinger donger soon after. Hiflyer under a hard ride got back into a narrow lead with 10m to go and saved the blushes of the rider for sure. He won by a neck in 1:36.93 when odds on and carrying 56.5kg to record his seventh win from seventeen starts but was far from convincing the 5yo gelding. The G3 win today goes with a G2 second last Autumn and clearly he is a better galloper in faster run races. Amarula carrying 2.5kg more than the winner fought hard and only the weight difference decided this for sure. Ringo the 8yo was a distant third but very brave under 57.5kg after sitting third wide the whole way. He was tried in Melbourne three years ago and finished twice from five starts but notably could not win. Benzini ran a blinder fresh up for fourth under 60kg after being tightened early and settling down last. Tessastock ran a good fifth and is a mare with a decent race in her this season for sure. Sergeant Blast was sound in this grade albeit distant and Big Dreamer was honest while Rosewood was noticed running on late after settling back and wide. Beaumarchais was only getting going the last 50m but never looked likely from where he settled down. Five of the eight winners at Trentham today came from either leading or sitting close and no worse than fifth turning for home. Hiflyer may not be ready to take on quality in Australia yet as they have many runners that can clock a superior closing sectional than he so race pattern-wise he could be in some strife. In a fast run race where he gets one surge at them will suit but the simple mathematics of he will meet many more rivals in Australia that run his sectionals or better is always the leap from New Zealand depth to Australian depth. Benzini the 8yo looks to have come up well and will be a WFA force in New Zealand over summer. Ringo, another 8yo, can try to better his runner up spots in the last two runnings of the G2 mile at Riccarton over Cup week. Tessastock can be a WFA player in New Zealand this Summer over middle distance versus all comers.