This G1 3yo mile saw the hotpot Madison County prevail and add too his G1 2000 Guineas win in the Spring (November), which was the last time he had raced coming into today. The track at Trentham today raced majority biased towards on pacers and the inside few lanes were clearly faster strips all day. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were led (neck on the inside), second (neck back the outer), led (inner and a length clear), led (inner and half a length clear), tenth (one-off and four lengths from the leader), led (inner and half a length clear), eighth (three-off fence and three lengths from the leader), fifth (inner and four and a half lengths from the leader) and tenth (four-off the fence and five lengths from the leader). Madison County drew the ace so was on the faster lanes already so only a bad ride could see him beaten and things look rather custardy early on when not making use of the draw and ending up seventh the inner in an eleven-horse field. The gelding was worked off the inside just before the home turn and was eighth turning in but held in on his outer and with traffic ahead hoping for a miracle. Surprisingly the eventual runner up Hypnos that turned for home seventh and had him in a deadest pocket did not keep the door shut and at G1 level that is a cardinal sin surely. Madison County was given clear air at the 300m then drove through and reached second at the 200m before leading at the 150m then holding on to win by half a length in 1:35.89. It was his fourth win from seven starts and he now has two G1 races on the resume but this lacked the depth and oomph of his G1 2000 Guineas success but strangely this may well end up the more meaningful result come the end of this season from a Derby perspective. The 3yo form this season in New Zealand has been very helter skelter and thoroughly untrustable so at least a male of this age has won twice at the top level. Hypnos settled down one spot worse and on the outer of the eventual winner then moved up wider turning for home and had it in a death grip pocket and was one spot ahead. The apprentice atop is an in form rider but at G1 you cannot leave anything to chance so this was an error and almost certainly cost the gelding the race. It led at the 200m narrowly but the problem was 100m earlier he had let the favourite Madison County out into clear air or had not kept the hyperbaric chamber door locked shut. Hypnos had raceday fitness on his side over Madison County with three runs in the period his rival was inactive so not to make it as hard as possible for him to win was a tactical blunder of monumental proportions especially as this was at G1. He was headed at the 150m but fought hard to the line to deadheat for second and Madison County was feeling it a bit late while he was still coming and connections surely would like to have that final 400m again and see a different approach adopted. Vernanme ran a good second equal and has the look of a Derby winner the way he keeps going the run home. He raced sixth the outer and moved wide near the home turn before coming up fourth and four-off the inside then reached a close third at the 300m. The colt kept giving and he has the breeding to win at middle distance for sure plus it looks at this stage like he can cope on most types of footing, so the fickle Auckland weather has no bearing on his Derby prospects. More Wonder ran on very strongly late once into clear air after settling well back the inner and his start manners are proving costly at this level but to be fair he was not ridded very adroitly today. He missed away badly in the G1 2000 Guineas and ran home hard late for fifth behind Madison County and today finished fourth beaten less than a length. More Wonder has already had seven starts this season so mileage and wear and tear is his biggest obstacle as going to the well too often after poor starts is a recipe for deja vu all over again disappointment. The rider error today was staying inside turning for home and hoping for a hero-making parting of the seas ahead but the glory gamble backfired deluxe and she got blocked at the 400m and had to angle it widest at the 300m. If she had come to the outer turning for home as per normal when having a handful of horse underneath then it was the likely winner. Lincoln Falls ran a close up fifth after settling down ninth and he is yet to go a poor race so his Derby aspirations are still intact. Arrogant got going well the final 50m quite well after racing fifth the inner then hitting a flat spot the run home before getting a second wind. He worked off near the home turn and had some traffic ahead at the 400m and 300m but was not going quite well enough anyway at this point. The colt looks like he will stay if that second wind factor keeps appearing on raceday. Cantstopthefeeling raced second the outer and wilted to finish seventh while Crown Prosecutor raced fourth the outer and made an early move wide before the home turn then led turning in. The early move was a tactical mistake as the colt was headed at the 200m and weakened so waiting until producing him looks the more logical plan. He led and won at his prior start and was asked to lift well into the run home and did so that premature surge today was the obvious error. The rest were outclassed in this and are either better back against their own grade or sex. This G1 has more likely Derby contenders than the G1 2000 Guineas did but that race was stronger overall, so it is half a dozen of one or the other in effect. Madison County beat More Wonder at Riccarton by over three lengths after it began poorly and today after that colt was tardy but nowhere near as badly away the margin between them was less than a length. The fact that Madison County was fresh up at a mile since that G1 2000 Guineas easy win means he has more improvement left in him while More Wonder has more mileage and is still not beginning properly. Hypnos should have won the race and likely does with a senior rider on and More Wonder should have scored but for a big tactical howler by his rider, so two runners today should have finished ahead of Madison County. The lessons from today quite vividly are that an apprentice should not be used at G1 and an experienced rider should not gamble on the inside run coming at G1, as there are not that many of them each season for this age group.