This has been a G1 since 1991 and used to be at 1400m but has been run at the mile since 1996. It has been a G1 recently that has been looked at for a downgrade owing to some lacklustre line-ups and small field size. Veyron is bombproof and big, so he can intimidate if required and feasts of any faux pas by rival riders, with the latter the case today. The winning time of 1:34.03 was slick in comparison to the rest of the time of the meeting and so it should be being a G1, so no surprise it was almost a dozen lengths quicker than any other mile event on the card for lesser lights. His time surprisingly is the third slowest since the feature became a mile event, with Alamosa (1:32.69 in 2008) and Mufhasa (1:32.87 in 2010) and also Keep The Peace (1:33.51 in 2011) and Darci Brahma (1:33.67 in 2006) all going far faster. The track record for a mile at Otaki is 1:32.50 set by Altered Image as a 3yo winning the Levin Classic for his age group in 2008, so this track can be very conducive to fast times. Veyron has the awesome record at the moment of a dozen wins from just nineteen starts, with his four attempts at G1 reaping three wins and a second. He has only failed to pay a dividend twice, with a close fourth fresh up at 1200m under 59kg and a seventh at G2 beaten just over two lengths when not fully mature. His second dam Limitless (by Sir Tristram) won eleven races including the Brisbane Cup (3200m then) in the wet, so Veyron can swim and sprint and stay. He does look like a Cox Plate could be on his spring target list being so big and strong and versatile. The runner up Lady Kipling and third finisher Guiseppina both went far too wide near the home turn and both basically gave away several lengths to the winner that cut the corner and got through in a few strides. The split decision to peel so wide proved decisive and the footing that deep out in the run home was not a faster lane at all but G1 racing can create unusual decision making by riders. Hold It Harvey has another run at this level to put into his now chock-a-block ‘unlucky scrapbook’. Half the field were either not genuine milers or genuine G1 at WFA performers versus all comers either ever or due to age and circumstance nowadays. The grading committee will have this race surely in their sights to be downgraded to G2, as it is still poorly placed on the calendar and does not attract a G1 standard field anymore.