Race Synopsis:The winner of this G1 at WFA over 1600m was the Australian bred $1.20 pop Avantage in what was a bitterly disappointing seven-horse field. The winners and where they turned for home were second (three-off the inside and half a length from the leader), fifth (six-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), third (three-off the inside and half a length from the leader), led (two-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), eighth (eight-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), led (two-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), second (one-off the inside and half a length from the leader) and second (three-off the inside and a length from the leader). Avantage was winning her fourth start in a row this season and all have come at G1 showing the lack of serious firepower in New Zealand at the moment regarding WFA especially. The 5yo mare was wide near the pace and working and only got one-off outside the leader after a quarter of the race had been run so the ride looked very ugly early on for a runner so red hot. The mare then sat second the outer to the home turn and led at the 300m and scampered clear before winning by just under a length in 1:34.07. The race record here at Otaki is 1:32.69 set by Alamosa in 2008 for some perspective and the winning time of Avantage is only ranked sixth equal. Avantage was winning her eighth G1 today and when you consider she could not win at G1 earlier this season in three attempts but this year has now won four from four says a lot about the lack of depth. Her first two G1 wins this year she beat the old horse Julius and Spring Heat (another mare but yet to win at G1) in the other and in the last two wins she has beaten the male 4yo Callsign Mav. He won at G1 earlier this year and Avantage was second so she has improved but it is the same horses basically meeting each other and the fields are getting smaller and weaker. Callsign Mav ran on well today from fourth the outer and he had his chance to win but was not good enough. Third home was Travelling Light that has looked well off the pace at G1 this season so far but today she got third almost by default. The 4yo mare was a G1 winner last season in a 3yo only event but has struggled this time in so far and was beaten almost three and a half lengths today after racing fifth on the inner. Fourth home was Shadows Cast that won at G1 in January of 2019 and has struggled in the main since. The now 8yo gelding raced sixth the outer and reached fourth at the 200m but was beaten over four lengths. Fifth home and beaten over seven lengths was the Australian bred mare House Of Cartier that is just a three-race winner. She was G1 placed as a filly when third in Adelaide over 2000m but since then has been a disappointment and is back in New Zealand now looking for soft kills. Second last home was an out of form mare in Imelda Mary that raced last on her own after dipping at the start and going down her nose. She ran on late the last but was still beaten almost eight lengths. Last home was Deerfield that was placed at G1 twice this season and he worked to the lead but was gone the run home and stopped to finish last over nine lengths away. Two of the seven-horse field today were ridden by apprentice riders, which says it all about the depth and regard this G1 is really held in. Deerfield had run third at G1 behind the single G1 winner and now defunct Rock On Wood and also third to Melody Belle, which is still to win a G1 outside of New Zealand that is for all comers (males too). This G1 at Otaki is a weak event nowadays and must be under huge pressure to retains its status as it has fast become an irrelevant race. Female gallopers have won the last four runnings though Devise when winning it in 2018 it was a Hastings win. Avantage has now won fifteen of her twenty-five starts and is surely ready to beat her stablemate Melody Belle at G1 now or is it the same old same old. The lack of variety and any serous challengers to Avantage and Melody Belle in the last few years explains the mare domination that is rampant in New Zealand at the highest level and has been for a long time. Melody Belle has not won a G1 outside of New Zealand where she met the males too and Avantage has raced four times in Australia for a win at G2 on a bog against 3yo fillies and a placing at G2 on slow footing against 3yo's plus two flops at G2 and G3 (both against allcomers).