The track was dreadfully biased and sticky sodden plus nothing could win the inside five lanes the run home and from there out to about the middle of track was the limit then any deeper was a no go zone too. There was a winning window or width that was a third of the track at best to pay a dividend and a quarter or less where any winner came on or through today. It was an absurd bias made worse as the rail was out 7m so manmade to some extent and troubling on such an important day two weeks out from the G1 NZ Derby and three weeks out from the G1 Auckland Cup. This G2 3yo 2100m event today at Ellerslie will also see the Derby held here in two weeks but with the rail back in the true position so it defies belief why this happens and is allowed. This race should go back to Avondale, the track that held this race for decades, as the rail will be true for sure there on that sand-slitted track. Gingernuts at $27 a win sprinted the hardest five widths off the inside fence from second last turning for home and in the end won easily by a length and a quarter in 2:15.59 after hitting the front 50m out. He was very awkwardly away at the start and many lengths last early and still two lengths detached a lap out, so his surge was withering however the race was a crawl and at least fifty lengths below standard overall to explain strange results in this and the G2 Avondale Cup (2400m) that followed this. It was the third win in six starts for Gingernuts and he clearly likes to be able to dunk his toe in wet ground. Today was his first blacktype race attempt and he was rising 500m so no surprise that his stable did not have him nominated for the Derby in two weeks as they clearly thought he was not good enough or a suspect stayer or a bit hit and miss therefore inconsistent. That has now changed and a late nomination fee will be paid as although not really bred to stay he can sprint hard and often the best stayer is not needed to win 3yo features as brilliance as in a turn of foot can overcome. Charles Road was second after racing outside the pace, if you could call it that as they went so slow, and led at the 300m only to be crunched by Gingernuts the final 50m. The Australian bred was having just his fifth start today and first ever blacktype attempt and rising 500m, so was very much like the winner for inexperience. Mongolian Wolf boxed on well for third half a length from second after racing in the trail and this also Australian bred was recording his first gained blacktye placing after missing three times as a juvenile and two of them were massive defeats. Redeem The Dream led up and was allowed to crawl along unchallenged at what was his fifth start, so many rival riders clearly had serious stamina doubts on their mounts. Highlad boxed on for fifth after racing fourth the outer and like a few others would like at least standard time or something near it to make it a stamina contest rather than a 400m sprint home. Cha Siu Bao fought on okay from ahead of the midfield the inner on settling while the other talking point was the hotpot Sacred Elixir finishing seventh beaten just under four lengths. He was not happy between runners eighth for most of the race and then had to be forcibly checked by his rider across the top when getting on heels ahead then strode up wide turning for home only to be one-paced. Two factors went against him here in they walked and he is a known stayer so needs the pace at least reasonable for some of the race before the home turn and he was wide enough out the run in to be in treacherously fickle lanes that cruelled most all day. Better footing, a riding change and a gear change (such as blinkers on for the big show) can see this gelding still win the Derby easily in two weeks. He is the best 3yo stayer in New Zealand and cannot be dictated too or allow crawling to happen, so should make it a race and survival of the fittest a long way from home if a Derby day dawdle starts to happen again. Zac Purton could be called into from Hong Kong to get the job done in the Derby, so look out for the stable to murmur a riding change is being considered. Camino Rocoso the third favourite was one-paced too the run home after sitting sixth the outer surrounded mostly so his camp will be scratching their heads. He clearly needs a stronger pace and better footing, like most of this field does too. Beaumarchais was not too bad late the widest down the outer from the 300m and is a stablemate of the winner. Leading Role was wide the whole way so to be beaten just over six lengths was not that bad as he covered many more metres than the rest but with such a slow time that was probably possible today. Romancer was wide the whole way too but was two lengths behind Leading Role at the line. Savasava plugged closer then the last pair home were either outstayed or outclassed or both. The only thing certain about today was the track was biased and awful so this result could be an outlier or an anomaly. The time was farcically slow and a 15m strip the run home was the only place you pay a dividend but actually for a win was a smaller bandwidth that that. Excalibur won the last race on the day in 2:14.22 (eight lengths faster) versus older horses and he will run in the Derby if he gets a start, which would seem a joke if he did not in the Bonecrusher colours using time as a comparison. Absolutely nothing ran on of note bar the winner so that is a glaring concern plus Gingernuts surged home five off the inside and five winners on the day were on that similar strip so it proved advantageous. The 3yo form all season has seen a different winner keep happening and that more often than not means they are even rather than top class. The one 3yo that brained a G1 field in fast time is Ugo Foscolo and he is now trained in Sydney otherwise nothing has stood up consistently from a local perspective. Gingernuts could have come good at the right time and may yet be the real deal but there has to still be that asterisk on the sheer numerical weight of runners that disappointed today. Rival riders must surely now know Gingernuts has the best sprint home in a slow run race and will surely not hand it too him again on a biscuit platter. He will amazingly have his third different rider in a row for the Derby and possibly strike entirely different footing. Can a 3yo in New Zealand stand up and be dominant in the Derby to erase that distinct look so far of mediocrity about a big bunch of them?