This should be the last G1 Auckland Cup (3200m) for a long time as that top shelf rating has not been vindicated for many years now and including today. It should be G2 next year and could go back to G3 and join the New Zealand Cup (3200m) and Wellington Cup (3200) but the former seems the most likely. The pace has never been strong in this for many years and today saw Chenille the favourite on half a kilo above the minimum salute with 53.5kg in 3:22.90. The 5yo mare was amazingly weighted considering she won a Listed Hawkes Bay Cup (2200m) last Autumn at 53kg easily and the third finisher Savaria at the same weight has won the G3 Wellington Cup since at 56.5kg. The fourth finisher in the Hawkes Bay Cup was Jacksstar, also at 53kg, and he has since finished second in the G3 Wellington Cup at 58kg and third in the G1 Auckland Cup today at 56kg. Chenille since that Cup win has scored three more times including twice in Open Handicaps so was remarkably in at just 53.5kg. She sat eighth or ninth the outer then was let stride up fast wide before the home turn to lodge a bid upon straightening up at the 400m. The mare went clear then held on well by three-quarters of a length to record her ninth win in twenty-seven starts and of course her first success at G1. El Pistola was a brave second on a light preparation being third up from a spell and the 6yo mare did some work on the speed early before accepting the trail. She was eighth in this race a year ago in what was a poor field for depth too, so at the same weight again has likely found an inferior line up as she drew wider today as well. Jacksstar was a brave third as he was found to have suffered a tendon injury to his left foreleg. He raced tenth or eleventh the outer and moved up sixth wide turning for home before sustaining his run to get third on the post. Megablast ran an honest fourth after racing handy and rarely goes a poor race these days on all types of footing. Five To Midnight got too far back but was noticed running on okay late while Fanatic was not too bad but she did get through fifth at the 200m then was a tad one-batting to the line. Gentil Tonton was fair but he wanted wetter ground and the unsung effort of the race was clearly Pentathon in eighth albeit beaten seven and a half lengths. He was three-wide the whole way in the back quartet and covered more ground than any other runner by a long way. Perfect Star plugged on from the rear on inner while the rest came home in intervals and most of them ran below par and some lacked the stamina and others the class. This was a low rating race and result and run slower than the last couple of years that have been depthless line ups too. The winning trainer today Tony Pike won the race in 2015 with the 4yo mare Rock Diva. The 500K stake seems unjustifiable when, not if, this race becomes a G2 or lower as it has not been of a G1 standard or anywhere near the required average across the line for very many years.