The strength of New Zealand racing has been the filly and mare for many years and with the benefits of handicapping relief, bonus series and of course the countless blacktype events each year it is no wonder. The eggs have all been put in place for the female galloper basket in New Zealand plus of course they can run in almost any race a season unlike the males. This G1 at Te Aroha is the lone of its type for the fillies and mares each season at the top level (a plethora of G2, G3 and especially Listed events are held as well), so is a main target for many and a given to be a strong line up both in terms of depth and numerically. When something is exclusive a season and sought after then a full field with serious form and real depth is inevitable. This year alarmingly however saw a paltry ten runners and three of those were outclassed at this level under WFA so were wishful entries at best. There is something wrong with the current direction of New Zealand racing if this G1 feature cannot attract a decent field and today may well have been a telling portent. Too many other major players for both fillies and mares events were not here and in fact chasing serious stakemoney and superior pedigree prestige in Australia. The track today was at least closer to what was stated by stewards and parroted by Trackside, which seems a more uncomfortable agreeance alliance by the day and bettors can see and sense this so vote accordingly with their wallets. Truth telling is all that matters when it comes to horse race betting and singing from the same flawed hymn book drives bettors away in droves when the information is wrong and/or an obvious attempt to candy coat something clearly askew. Last year at this meeting was a Monty Pythonesque-farce with the track rating given on the raceday morning and right up to the first event as a Dead6 and parroted accordingly, when visually (and proven factually on time straight away) it was an awful bog and a beclowning moment. Centre track scouting around the home turn really does make those false statements about a track prior by officials and look very silly and open for deserved ridicule and criticism. Watering in the week and at times days before a meeting plus this obsession with false rail movements is a disease that has ruined New Zealand racing in recent years. We now have the farcical position, which for some inane reason is stated ad nauseam on Trackside by their hosts clearly with the blessings of their hierachy, that a perfect track is a Good3, a Dead4 and a Dead 5. Who knew that perfection happened in three different track ratings and that it was so garden variety and easy to achieve or aspire too? It is the kind of silliness that also allows the blatant overuse of “looking forward” to become a meaningless go too phrase without thinking on raceday. There are dictionaries (and online) so ‘cannot wait’ for the lemming lines to one day stop! This race has been a G1 since 2002 when won for the second year in a row by Saint Cecile in 1:34.81 on a Good rated track (no number followed the word then). These farcical track ratings with a number after the words Good, Dead, Slow or Heavy are not considered trustworthy by bettors anymore and since the introduction starting in season 2008-2009 it has been all downhill. They are a turnover killer as asking for customers to spend their money on guesstimates that seem nonsensical at times is absurd and of course what are the odds they are always on the over-optimistic side! Today the track was a Dead5 and at Race 6 (two races before this G1 feature) it was upgraded to a Dead4, which is at least a behavioural change! Viadana bolted in to win her third G1 race and clocked 1:34.18 but times here are a slight concern at the mile. Her time was the fastest ever run since this became a G1 race (remember it was an upgraded to Dead4) so when you see all the clockings together one can be forgiven for not trusting. The slowest time for this as a G1 race came last year by Xanadu of 1:39.42 when the track was embarrassingly stated as a Dead6 to start with and even when downgraded twice to a Slow8 it was still not reality. The track was a sloppy bog and biased beyond belief last year. Four years ago Barinka won it on a Slow7 (that is worse than a Dead6) and clocked 1:35.81 or over twenty-one lengths superior to Viadana so do the math even after adjustment and the distrust gets worse. The mile times here are never diabolical so that farce last year with Xanadu just highlights the track trouble here and getting the basic things right. Viadana will go to Sydney and tackle her own sex at G1 soon and her trainer and owners should then get a realistic assessment of where she actually sits being a triple G1 winner at home. Xanadu was demolished in Australia several times last year against her own sex and she is a dual G1 winner at home so be wary. The form of most winners of this race afterwards is alarmingly poor for a relevant sample of thirteen victors, with just a handful doing some business beyond this race. Recite had every possible chance and is yet to win clockwise. Her best form is when getting a cheap lead as she can quicken suddenly and get rivals off the bit and she too may get tested in the stronger cauldron of Australian racing. Chintz was game as usual after leading and the eyecatcher late was Costume, which has improved dramatically over summer and has more to offer. Fix had every chance and may not be a genuine WFA mare at this stage and her stablemate Xanadu was ordinary for the second race in a row. Thy can be forgiven as ridden upside down and would be better sitting covered up and allowed a quieter trip in transit. The last three home were outclassed at G1 under WFA and are handicappers. It is a worry the NZ Oaks is now not a serious G1 race for fillies due to NZ Derby being moved plus the better runners go to Sydney too so the depth is waning fast. Now we have the lone G1 for fillies and mares a season attracting only seven realistic chances in a field of just ten and many big players not here with the Championships now set in stone in Sydney. The strength of New Zealand racing is the female galloper as everything is geared to help them and make them more valuable for breeding purposes and therefore to embellish sales catalogues. Some poor planning and lack of forethought (flawed ‘looking forward’!) is causing many G1 races in New Zealand once considered cornerstone or pinnacle events each season to becoming rapidly irrelevant events.