The track at Te Rapa as usual was very biased towards on pacers with the farthest away winning today being fifth turning for home. The last three races were won by leaders and the other three flat races saw the winner turning for home fourth, fourth and fifth. The start of this Listed juvenile was very ordinary and in fact the runner up was a moral beaten. Santa Catarina was fifth away and then lost a spot or two before being sixth and three wide (with cover) across the top and she strode up a threatening fourth turning for home. The filly was third at the 100m and kept coming to get up on the line by half a head and clock 1:05.05 for her second win from three starts and her first blacktype success. With an ounce of luck she could be undefeated. Cavallo Veloce was a massive second and being crowded at the start cost him the race, as he was sixth wide in the open and then moved up third wide (no cover still) across the top and was actually towing the eventual winner along. The colt led at the 300m and only succumbed the last stride, so has in two starts finished a very close second each time. Ole Ole was wide early and went up third the outer and then second the outer across the top with the gelding fighting on well to end up third less than a length from the winner. Qiji Express, apart from the runner up that was colossal in defeat, was the other eyecatcher when a good fourth at the line beaten just over a length. He jumped out with the initial speed from the inside gate then got headed and lost his place badly to end up eighth the inner after 300m and in fact turned for home last. The colt was still last at the 200m looking for clear air then surged through to be fourth at the 100m and kept coming strongly and was stiff not to pay a dividend. Byzantine, which is the only one to have beaten the winner today so far, got back and wide on settling and was the deepest of the rear quartet across the top. He kept coming gamely the run home for fifth beaten just under two lengths and was far from disgraced. What A Smasher showing speed to lead after 200m then took a trail before battling on okay the run home. Crystallize was fifth mostly and battled on okay but he may be best clockwise at this stage. Van Irving was crowded early and settled in the rear quartet but battled on okay all things factored in. Kailani Sunset was clearly last away in this ordinary start of a race then got sent around the field with the throttle wide open to lead after 300m. The filly was headed at the 300m and tired unsurprisingly to finish second last but only be beaten three lengths, so the effort was not too bad at all and in fact that start proved rather costly. Shipshape was handy the inner initially and then lost her place to be in the rear quartet on settling. The filly was last over the line but less than five lengths from the winner, so nothing was too distant at the line with her in fact being the slightly detached one at the post. The first nine home were separated by three lengths and that is a legitimate concerning issue as the start of this race was poor and very costly for some, so run it again and you get a different winner for sure. The runner up should have won and the fourth finisher should have been in the money at least plus the second ton last finisher with a proper getaway could have turned the race on its head too. These late season juvenile races always contain the slow developing babies and many can improve a massive amount into next season. There could be lots of form to come out of this race as most of them are bred to be milers and maybe middle distance types rather than sprinters.