The track at Tauranga was a supposed Good3 but the times suggested it was not or there are some other underlying issues (e.g. Rail out 2.5m so distances not au fait) as not one truly decent time was posted all day. The winners and where they turned for home on the more often than not biased towards on pacers track were last (seventh of seven runners but just two and a half lengths from the leader), led, fourth, third, third, led, second and fourth (trailed leaders). Nothing won all day from very far away turning in but it was the times that were below standard and sometimes over two second below worryingly. This G2 at WFA mile drew just eight runners and two of them had no form at this scale and one of them was in fact a one-race winner only. The winner Ocean Emperor defended his title in this from a year ago and after trailing the leaders in a far from taxing run race the 7yo entire popped off turning for home and strode to the lead at the 150m. He ended up winning by over a length and a quarter and clocked 1:36.69 for the mile, which is very ordinary when you consider a standard maiden time is 1:36 even for this trip. Ocean Emperor was winning his ninth race from twenty-seven starts and is desperate to get a G1 in the resume. His wins have come on all types of footing. Nicoletta the leader not surprisingly ran second in this very slow run race for G2 at WFA and the mare once receiving zero pressure tried to steal it. Darscape Princess, a visiting Central Districts prepared mare, settled down last then went though fourth the inside only to lose her spot and be eighth the inner midrace. She ran home well to be beaten just over a length and a half. All Roads, more a handicapper, was in the rear duo early but went up fifth and wide midrace and then into third across the top as they were allowed to be going trackwork pace up front. He was still third at the 200m and fought on okay from fourth at the 50m. Love Affair started favourite just and her fifth beaten three and three-quarter lengths look disappointing at first glance however she had legitimate excuses. After being third the outer she lost her place in an absurdly slow run race and ended up sixth surrounded midrace and then came up deep and fourth turning for home when the sprint was on. She never liked the hard ground at all but never chucked in the towel and just needs a fairer racing surface to form reverse. Love Affair may also only be WFA effective against her own sex and a handicapper only against allcomers plus she needs a strong race pace to unleash fully. Consensus was an ordinary sixth and appears to be getting ready for richer races in the Summer at WFA over 2000m. She was running fifth the outer and lost her place to be last midrace but still got beaten seven and a half lengths. El Coolio under a very hard ride beat one home in Woodsman and both were exposed at WFA though he is a just a one-race winner so should have finished a clear last. It showed just how tepid this race was run and the result is very untrustable with the track bias and footing and how slow they were allowed to go up front. Not a very strong field at all but there is a massive lack of WFA depth in New Zealand at the moment. Ocean Emperor will try to get his G1 next month in a mile under the WFA scale at Trentham after being found out twice at this level earlier this Spring. Racing patterns of some horses are being helped by what seems now almost an endless supply of manmade biased tracks towards on pacers in New Zealand. The use of false rails is way over the top now and creating this manmade bias but the footing itself is not always presented up to a believable standard and bettors have lost all faith in the penetrometer to paint a proper picture worthy of confident punting.