Australian bred runners finished first and second and that was an impressive return from just four starters. In 2010 the winner was the Australian bred filly We Can Say It Now in a finish that was an all girl trifecta. This is becoming a norm now in New Zealand G1 races for juveniles and three-year-olds. The first and third runners home both had run in G1 events prior so clearly enjoyed the lesser depth field today overall. The winner Southern Lord finished a luckless seventh prior in the G1 2000 Guineas behind the unbeaten Sacred Falls (it bolsters his formline worth). Third placed filly Soriano finished a very brave sixth prior in the G1 1000 Guineas behind Rollout The Carpet. The fifth horse home Irish Rebel finished eighth in the G1 2000 Guineas prior. However just as you get formlines that confirm we find Canny Franco, which finished last today, was able to finish fourth in the G1 2000 Guineas behind Sacred Falls and therefore a spanner gets thrown into the works. No absolute standout at this point in the three-year-old ranks but the fillies overall have a deeper bench for sure. The time of 1:34.63 on a day where times were quite good is the sixth fastest recorded for the race. A special conditions event prior for maidens and one win gallopers clocked 1:35.10 (just under three lengths slower), while the final race of the meeting today a Ratings 85 saw the winner clock 1:34.21 (just under three lengths faster). The fastest winner of this race was Altered Image (1:32.50) and of the other four quicker times three of them were fillies, namely Nimue (1:33.66 in 1992), Love De Tor (1:33.69 in 1997) and We Can Say It Now (1:34.27 in 2010). The other male faster winning time was Veandercross (1:35.35 in 1991). Kelly Myers is the second female jockey to win the race behind Maree Lyndon, who won it twice with Princess Dram (1984) and The Bishop (1986). The race became a G1 in 1990 and was won by Eagle Eye, so Myers is in fact the first female rider to win the race as a G1. It should ease that $300 fine she copped for a celebratory gesture just short of the winning post. If they fine the riders half or the whole winning percentage then it will stop this spiking the football in equine racing terms immediately. Until they bring in a real deterrent it is purely a racing revenue raiser and akin to hidden speeding cameras or zealous parking meter maids. The two wins by Lyndon (nee Davey) came when the race was G2. Fillies have won it eight times since it became a G1. The first and third and fifth finishers settled down in the last quartet and that tells you the tempo was a tad quick early for most. It also adds merit to the effort of the runner up Le Choix that sat handy the outer and fought resolutely the run home. There were many meritorious efforts with Addictive Habit (seventh) very good indeed and he is a rain-affected track away from winning this season. Zinko (eighth) and High Fashion (ninth) both get held up at inappropriate times but found the line and will win their share of races this season. Sacred Star (tenth) was not disgraced and looks a Derby type suited to New Zealand depth plus any rain around (it usually rains now they have moved Derby/Cup carnival to March) makes him a contender. Julinsky Prince (eleventh) was also a sound effort overall as he was in tight quarters the closing 200m trying to work one-off then poke through. Touch Win (fourth) was a tad disappointing to be fair and his ping the run home was more sustained than explosive. Pouri Chimes (fourteenth) was ridden upside down in a G1 after being a backrunner and closer this season only to be put on the speed and attacking across the top to the home turn, so forget the flop. The G1 status is close to being downgraded to G2 for the Levin Classic because the depth is just not there anymore and results over the majority of this century are less than gold standard.