Hard to believe anything here is anywhere near Melbourne Cup quality since that has become a serious G1 staying event and history backs that up plus recent reference too. The only significant winner of this race in the last three decades was Jezabeel in 1998, which went on to win the Flemington feature that same year. Since the race was moved to an autumn date from summer the winner's list has been uninspiring to say the least. The winning time this year of 3:25.35 was a full two seconds (12 lengths) slower than the G2 Adelaide Cup winner recently and that is a legitimate perspective as to the level of this race. Zavite won the 2009 Adelaide Cup under 57.5kg easily and a year later won the Auckland Cup even easier under the same weight plus clocked over six seconds faster (42 lengths) than Shez Sinsational this year. The horse he demolished at Ellerslie was Booming and that horse finished fourth in the Cup this year. It is worth pointing out Zavite ran in both the 2009 and 2010 Melbourne Cups and finished nineteenth beaten thirteen lengths then twenty second beaten almost fifty lengths. Spin Around won the 2009 Auckland Cup under 55.5kg in a second and three quarter (10 and a half lengths) faster time than Shez Sinsational and he finished twentieth beaten thirteen lengths in the 2009 Melbourne Cup. Shez Sinsational at an unbelievably light weight of 55kg for an already dual G1 winner at WFA outfinished the durable Spiro and Six O’Clock News, with the latter not a respected stayer outside of New Zealand at all. The fact he carried 4kg more than Shez Sinsational and ran home hard for third is more than a form portent, as he was well beaten in the spring of 2009 in three lesser staying events in Australia. He was eleventh beaten eight lengths in the G1 Metropolitan (2400m) at Randwick then ninth beaten five lengths in the G3 Geelong Cup (2406m) won that year by Leica Ding (so a weak year) and twelfth beaten almost ten lengths in the G3 The Lexus (2500m). Another recent form thread that puts the 2012 Auckland Cup into proper perspective is that Innocent Lady finished a game fifth beaten just over three lengths. This mare finished fourth in the race last year but was tried in the spring at Melbourne in 2011 against lesser fields and was beaten comfortably each time. She was second last in the G3 JRA Cup (2040m) at Moonee Valley and then third last in the Listed Bendigo Cup (2400m) and fourth last in the Lavazza Long Black (2800m), which was won by Norsqui and he finished third in the Adelaide Cup this year. So the form levels are much of the same mediocrity and nowhere near the Melbourne Cup summit, which makes it folly to even be mentioning Shez Sinsational in that echelon. She is at least a young mare and can improve but the first Tuesday in November is now for serious stayers with class and a turn of foot at the finish.