The track presented today saw all times that matter of average standard or worse (G1 and G3 miles run and won in 1:36 and change) so the watering clearly was done in a hot weather week in a big way. Any times for 800m to 1200m races at Trentham are as misleading as possible because down the chute and onto the course proper with 500m to go the initial part of the track is either downhill or not the exact distances as ordinary sprinters run 1:07 and could beat Black Caviar time-wise and that is absurd. Never ever use Trentham times from 800m to 1200m, much the same as Riccarton, because they are 100% irrelevant to how the track is actually racing. This G3 2100m under set weights and penalties saw some epic fails in the race from recent Group winners and unsurprisingly saw to two of the least raced three runners in the field quinella the event in Von Tunzelman and Devise. The other of the least raced trio finished fourth and that says it all about how so many tired and over-raced legs got exposed today. Von Tunzelman sat back and then improved wide near the home turn before surging into third at the 200m then took a narrow lead at the 50m. He had a ding donger battle with Devise and the margin at the line was half a head in 2.09.55, which is just a fair time as still over two seconds (more than twelve lengths) below the track record that was set way back in 1995. The 5yo gelding was winning his sixth race in eighteen starts and could clean up the Cups if kept at home as the stamina depth is currently at an all time low. It must be tempered with the fact he has been tried in Australia twice in the late Spring of 2017 in cherry picked soft fields and finished sixth and fifth so is effective when he stays in New Zealand. He is best form so far left-handed so that may be an issue but the staying ranks are so poor at home it is best to strike while the iron is hot. Devise after trailing the leaders got off near the home turn and took the lead at the 250m with just one danger the final 100m. She fought ever so hard and the least experienced runner in the field and just a three-win mare showed she could be of WFA grade if kept racing in New Zealand. Outside a miss in the G1 ATC Oaks (2400m) at Randwick she has in New Zealand raced at 2000m to 2400m four times and been placed in all of them with Benzini in five runs prior to today had never paid a dividend on the track but the 8yo ran home hard to get third but to be honest at 55kg he was deadest thrown in. Aspen Lass ran a blinder and the South Island trained 5yo mare has won up to 2500m so may be a Cups contender in the North Island. She got back on the inner today but ran home resolutely when angled out and was second up so has ample improvement to come this campaign. High Spirits rising multiple grades and coming back 1100m on last start finished on gamely considering she was back and wide midrace and even deeper across the top. Cruiser ran a decent race as he was let loose early the run home to lead after sitting handy the outer. Hank Moody, way out of his grade, ran on okay from the rear at $58 a win and did overtake several recent Group winners to show the depth is alarmingly poor at the moment across the board in New Zealand. Princess Brook disappointed considering her weight drop, while Sampson was okay and Saint Kitt just fair. Authentic Paddy a last start G1 winner at WFA carried 1kg less and was a poor eleventh beaten almost eighth and a half lengths after working up wide then sitting second the outer. His effort makes a mockery of the G1 win prior, his first, as the 8yo was struggling 400m from home today. Endean Rose was poor carrying the minimum of 53kg considering and she was third at G1 under WFA carrying 57kg last October behind Wait A Sec and Gingernuts. Since that third she has barely beaten a horse home. Kairanga Lad was outclassed while All In Vogue and Balham (they ran first and third at Listed level in December) performed awfully. Chance To Dance seems to have lost a dozen lengths suddenly and has now run two shockers in a row. He had in three prior runs won at G3 and Listed level with a shocker in between them but now is going absolutely dreadful. A cast right front plate today and a nail puncture of the sole requiring vet treatment is a partial excuse but where Team Te Akau go now with this 8yo gelding is anyone’s guess. He does not seem to put in genuinely all the time but at least back to a clockwise venue there is hope. Worryingly he has found reverse gear of late and is stopping badly the run home. The top two home in this will go ahead in leaps and bounds this season in New Zealand as still on the way up and have not been over-raced. This race otherwise is most notable for the colossal flops of so many Group or Listed winners and placegetters and that highlights the form threads are completely untrustable at all levels. Authentic Paddy dropped 1kg and came from a G1 win at WFA down to G3 and lost over eight lengths suddenly, which makes a total mockery of Group and Listed form worth. Bettors do not trust the form and rightly so at the moment as it is all over the place and jittery, which is the worst possible thing for a business dependent on wagering alone.