Race Synopsis:The winner of this G1 2000m under the WFA was Melody Belle by a length and a quarter in the sedate time of 2:03.03 (the track record is 1:59.9 held by the champion mare Tidal Light set in 1987). Melody Belle sat seventh the outer and when moved wide near the home turn was bumped out the deepest turning in but it made no matter as she unleashed from fourth at the 200m and led at the 50m. The winners and where they came from on the home turn were seventh (seven-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), ninth (one-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), fourth (three-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), led (one-off the inside and a length in front), led (two-off the inside and a length in front), led (one-off the inside and a neck in front), seventh (eight-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader), led (one-off the inside and half a lengths in front), led (four-off the inside and length and a half in front) and sixth (four-off the inside and two and a half lengths from the leader). Today was her fourteenth G1 win and she surpassed the mighty Sunline as New Zealand's numerically the winningest at this level but she is still to win at G1 outsider of New Zealand versus the boys too. This is a very critical point as Sunline won numerous races against the lads in Australia and even one at Hong Kong too, so it really matters. Melody Belle had been badly beaten at her start before this so the 6yo mare had a point to prove but was beating the same old same old once again. She has now won nineteen of her thirty-eight starts and of them she has won just two of thirteen runs in Australia (a G1 against mares on Slow ground and a G2 juvenile on heavy ground). Fifteen of her wins have come on rain-affected footing (seven on Dead ground, eight on Slow ground and two on heavy ground). Second home today was the favourite and stablemate, the Australian bred Avantage that raced fourth or fifth the outer and fought on okay but had her chance. She was going for five G1 wins in a row at home. Third home was Tiptronic that led and up and kicked well to be beaten a length and a half. The 7yo gelding won a G1 over 2000m over a year ago and has not run a place in four attempts at this level until today. Fourth home was Beauden that trailed third the inner and fought on to be beaten just under two lengths. Fifth home was the 8yo Royal Performer that settled last and unleashed wider but the sprint home only worked against him and he was beaten just over two lengths. Sixth home was Concert Hall that raced sixth the inner and worked off near the home turn and she battled on okay to be beaten just under two and a half lengths at the line. The other two in the race got beaten badly with On The Rocks beaten over ten and a half lengths and he won a G1 at Te Rapa in February of 2019 and that day beat Tiptronic for real a dose of reality. He has been very poor since for the vast majority of his races and in fact he has won just once and placed just once in his last eighteen outings. Last home and beaten almost seven and a half lengths was Paisley Park that was ridden by an apprentice. He was outclassed and now has had two runs at G1 for two last finishes and been beaten a combined distance of just under forty-six lengths. This was a sedate run G1 and a sprint home basically so no surprise that two mares ran one and two with the 2kg sex pull they get at the weights and also they have well beaten almost all of these before for a few seasons now.