This G3 2200m Open Handicap saw Rock On, which had not won a race for over a year, bury his rivals down the outer. The track at Awapuni saw nothing win from too far away turning for home (three and a half lengths the biggest deficit made up to win all day) and off the inside lanes seemed popular for all riders. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were second (neck from the leader), led (three lengths clear), led (length clear), led (neck and three-off the inside), sixth (three and a half lengths from the leader), seventh (three lengths from the leader and eight-off the inside), second (neck back the outer) and co-leader the outer (six-off the inside)). Rock On was tardily away and then tried to go forward midrace but some pressure was on at the time up front and he could not make any progress better than ninth. The 6yo came wider across the top and turned for home seventh and eight-off the inside before unleashing into fourth and still coming at the 200m. He sustained the run to be second at the 100m and led at the 15m scoring by half a length in 2:17.39 under the minimum of 53kg to record his sixth win in thirty-three starts. Rock On has won from 1600m up to 2500m and only left-handed and now has a G3 success to go along with a Listed St Leger win in the Autumn (March) of last year. Balham, an 8yo gelding, ran a game second after racing seventh then coming wide across the top and striding up to take the front at the 250m. The also six-race winner was second in this G3 race in 2016 beaten a head by Jacksstar, a stablemate of the winner this year that ran an eyecatcher late, so his trainer and connections must be sick of the sight of Gary Vile prepared runners in this race. Balham also has three Listed placings to go with his now dual G3 runners up efforts. Overtheriver, an 8yo gelding, unwound strongly late to get third on the post albeit almost two lengths from the winner, after he raced ninth mostly and came wider on the home turn. Sampson, a 9yo gelding, trailed the inner early and was fifth midrace and across the top before being held up near the home turn and eighth turning in. He drove through three or four-off and reached third at the 200m only to lose that spot the very last stride on the post. Hunta Pence raced fourth or fifth mostly and fought on well enough but had every chance. Jacksstar, the winner of this in 2016 (the last time he won a race in fact), came home strongly late from well back for sixth and was still eleventh at the 100m. He is close to another win and did through injury miss racing from March of 2017 until November this year, so if he stays happy and healthy the will to win and compete is still there. Hinerangi raced second then third the outer them moved up to lead turning for home only to be headed at the 250m then weaken from fifth at the 100m. Gundown was awkwardly away and settled down last but hugged the rail and went through tenth then reached fifth at the 200m closest in momentarily before battling away. High Quality was seen boxing on the latter stages after racing eighth then losing his spot and turning for home twelfth. Sylvester plugged on from last turning for home while Petite En Jeu had a horror run fourth wide then sixth wide so was entitled to stop but she must be fit as did not drop right out and was beaten less than seven lengths. China Star was wide in the midfield then made a fast run to take the lead midrace but got headed turning for home and run over by several the final 200m as she weakened. Glory Days the close to even money favourite never looked a possibility well back on the inner in a dreadful position and then got onto heels ahead when worked off near the home turn and had to be checked. Bettors are used to seeing this mare come powering home down the outer in clear air as she had done for her last four wins in a row but the mare looked a million to one the way it was ridden today. She has had in her last four wins in a row barrier draws of one, five, three and five, so gate two today should not have see a pattern or tactical change but once so far back on the inner the gaps open up less in the higher the grades as not as many stop as quickly. It was a very disappointing run and ride overall for one so heavily backed but bettors likely knew their fate well before the home turn the way the race was panning out and how results all day prior had eventuated on the track. Porcelain Princess was the only runner that Glory Days beat home and this mare led up then was headed midrace before weakening out the run home and dropping to last with 100m to go. This was not a strong field at all and contained a lot of older gallopers that have been around for yonks and have extensive mileage, so there form limitations are well known and documented. The solid pace for much of the race found out many and also a heap of this field are noted shy winners (they do not know how to win anymore of are the first to crack), which also confirmed the lack of genuine depth. The clear topweight in the race on 60kg that ran third was Overtheriver, an 8yo that in his six middle distance wins from 1800m to 2050m, all have come on non-Metro tracks plus he is not really a stayer. The fact that Overtheriver was 5kg weighted above the number two saddlecloth, the mare and hotpot flop Glory Days says it all about the actual race depth and this was not a G3 race whatsoever and Listed at best. Nothing new is coming through the staying ranks and the same old same old keeps going around season after season, so the Group levels have to be on warnings for many races to be downgraded if not next year then very soon. Holding a Group status race is not a parking spot until some depth appears many years later or a life tenure, as the standard of the field matters and if the same types are running in a race for two, three, four and sometimes five years in a row then the race is getting worse. Better to be realistic and downgrade inflated Group status or remove Blacktype status than to continue diluting the product and make it like handing out lollywater and prizes for everyone. This was not a G3 level race period.