This G1 mile drew a poor field overall and no surprise then that the winner was the 6yo mare Melody Belle at $1.30 such was the lack of serious opposition. She was fresh up and shooting to equal the late great Sunline's record of thirteen G1 wins but this has to be tempered and bought back to reality in that she is still to win a G1 against males outside of New Zealand. Sunline did so numerous times beating the boys in Australia and even won one against the lads in Hong Kong too for good measure. The winners and where they came from were seventh (six-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), sixth (eight-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), third (eight-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), tenth (ten-off the inside and four lengths from the leader), fourth (nine-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), seventh (ten-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), fifth (twelve-off the inside and a length from the leader), fourth (twelve-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), fifth (seven-off the inside and three lengths from the leader) and second (six-off the inside and a neck from the leader). Melody Belle is in a current era of female domination on the track as this sex gets all the favours from handicaps and what they can race in plus the ranks are very weak in New Zealand at the moment but also struggling for that matter in Australia too. Nothing has yet stood up and said I am the new King yet in either country regarding the male ranks. Melody Belle was nit well ridden today for one so short but it never mattered as when she surged from being fifth and wide turning for home the result was inevitable. She was second at the 300m led at the 100m before drawing away to score by almost a length and a half from the certainty beaten one could almost say in Sinarahma, also a mare. Melody Belle was winning her eighteenth race today from thirty-six outings and she has won at 900m as a juvenile and up to 2040m. Interestingly she has had thirteen starts in Australia for just two wins (one at G1 against fillies and mares only and the other a G2 as a juvenile plus it also came in the wet). Her record in Australasia also has four placings but is more failure than success and her best performance was a second to the best horse she ever met in another mare in Magic Wand. She is likely to overtake Sunline in G1 wins but true historians will recognize the era she is in and the fact that she has never won a G1 against males too outside of her own country. Second home today was Sinarahma that blew the start by half a dozen lengths and caught the field after 400m and went to the inner and to be fourth midrace. The 6yo mare took the shortest way home and led at the 300m only to succumb at the 100m but the effort was monstrous. She has not won race since February of 2020 and this sort of exposes the lack of genuine depth in the field. Deerfield ran third after settling last the outer then being sixth and wide with cover midrace and even wider turning for home. He reached third at the 200m and fought well to be beaten less than a length and a half. Fourth home was the South Islander in Tobilicious that raced fourth wide then third wide and went up second turning for home The 5yo gelding was ridden by an apprentice and was fourth at the 300m and fifth at the 200m but fought on to regain fourth at the 100m though he was beaten over four lengths at the line. Fifth home was Shadows Cast that was wide then second the outer before weakening the run in. Sixth and beaten eight lengths was The Mitigator (a one time winner at G1) that carried 58kg (1kg more than Melody Belle that had won twelve times at G1). He never got into the race after being last and wide on settling and he was one of two male gallopers (Rock On Wood the other) that had to carry 58kg and be weighted ahead of Melody Belle. Communique was outclassed being last home after leading up and not going very fast plus she was beaten eighth and a half lengths. Rock On Wood, the clear second favourite albeit at $5.40, broke down after 650m when racing fifth and was pulled up and sadly had to be euthanised as a result of a fractured left hind fetlock and pastern. This was a sedate and tepid G1 and the time alone gives that away with the field lacking true depth and never of the belief that they could actually beat the red hot pop Melody Belle. Hopefully when she goes for the outright G1 record that Melody Belle will meet more firepower as it is sadly lacking both here and in Australia at the moment. Records are meant to be broken but show me a single sane and unbiased person that thinks Melody Belle is a better horse than Sunline. Nuff said.