This G3 Open Handicap mile was run on an absolute bog with the winning time by the North Island raider Dez being 1:45. The track presented at Riccarton was a testing energy-sapper and the wider they scouted flat race by flat race, because the jumps races are slightly irrelevant with fences still to clear, showed as such. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were third (six-off the inside and a length from the leader), fourth (seven off the inside and half a length from the leader), third (one-off the inside and a neck from the leader), second (six-off the inside and a length from the leader), led (four-off the inside by two lengths), third (eight-off the inside and length and a half from the leader), eighth (fifteen-off the inside and three lengths from the leader), eighth (ten-off the inside and three lengths off the inside), led (six-off the inside and a length in front) and third (six-off the inside and half a length from the leader). Dez had flopped all three runs this campaign then form reversed suddenly two starts ago and won a Benchmark 82, which is four to five classes inferior to today. The 8yo gelding raced midfield the outer then was steered up a middle pathway near the home turn to be eighth as they straightened up. He came through quickly enjoying the mud to be third at the 200m and kept coming thereafter to hit the lead with just 10m to go. Dez won by a head to record his seventh win from just eighteen starts so his career has been punctuated by injury and setback to have had so few outings at his age. He ran a luckless third in this race a year ago carrying 53kg and had that same minimum today. The mile is his pet trip with five of his successes coming at this distance. On a day where big weights got badly anchored by the swampy deep footing a mare in Rosewood ran a close runner up under the second highest weight of 56.5kg. She sat well back as usual but improved closer in to save ground dramatically to be third across the top. The 6yo mare was worked off and took the lead turning for home and was still sin front at the 200m and 100m and likely to score but was caught the final 10m. Today was her sixth try at G3 and her second placing achieved so this is her level it does seem regarding blacktype and she is after all a mudder only. Her effort was very good but does highlight the depth of this field was very lacking indeed. Flying Sardine, a 7yo mare, in ten blacktype attempts prior had one third to show against her own sex at G3 so she added a G3 versus allcomers and therefore a more valuable and meaningful thing. She sat handy the inner then was steered die across the top and turned for home fourth before reaching second at the 300m then was third at the 150m. The mare was over four lengths from the winner at the line and narrowly held that blacktype placing. Red Sierra ran a super fourth and probably would have won but for a very slow start and being a clear last away. The 6yo mare from the North Island unleashed a strong finish and from tenth turning in and seventh at the 200m coming reached fourth at the 10m. Nomen Ludi raced seventh mostly and came though to fourth at the 200m where he fought on okay and was fifth at the line beaten just under five lengths. Herengawe settled back and wide but was noticed running on from tenth at the 200m. Trudeau raced handy the inner and worked off across the top but weakened from fifth turning for home to be sixth and over nine lengths from the winner. Lil Miss Swiss was very slow out and second last away with the deep South mare being a detached last after 400m and she was seen running on late widest from last still turning for home. The rest got beaten almost eleven lengths and up to over twenty-six lengths. Two winners have come here out of this race since in Red Sierra here a week later down two grades and Platinum Rapper down four-to-five classes four days later. This was not a genuine G3 depth field and is purely wet track relevant only plus many of this field came into the race today badly out of form.