This G1 3yo only mile drew a modest field and in a season so far where no male or female has yet to stand up and dominate the depth is still marked dubious and rightly so. Age Of Fire started a clear favourite today and the Australian bred big colt got the job done albeit narrowly by a neck in 1:36.63. The time is ordinary but shows the track was watered a lot to provide cushion and the era of hard track horses seems over in New Zealand, which is strange as more dry track gallopers are bred then wet trackers. However this time today was the fastest of the three mile event albeit by .3 and .6 only but for 3yo only versus older horses that stacks up well though the closeness of the times shows the Trentham track was presented not conducive to slick times from 1400m and upwards. Age Of Fire was buried on the inner but got off near the home turn then shoved a couple wider turning in to get clear air before surging into second at the 200m. The big colt has never missed being in the top three so is starting to solidify his pecking order and did embellish the form worth of the G1 2000 Guineas (1600m) that he ran second in ironically to a stablemate called Embellish. However the third finisher in this race (Ever Loyal) has since been beaten out of the money into fourth at $1.50 in a far inferior field having prior been beaten a nasal hair by Age Of Fire. The first four home in the G1 2000 Guineas is still the best form thread to use at the moment but maybe not trust entirely yet. Embellish ran 1:34.80 when winning by over a length and the first four home were within two lengths of each other and five and half lengths clear of the rest. Once again there is a big if as the two prior winners of the 2000 Guineas ran 1:33.81 and 1:33.59 in Ugo Foscolo and Xtravagant and both were absolutely demolished in Australia. Belle Du Nord ran a game second and her draw mattered today. Another filly in Savvy Coup, after racing eighth the outer surged to lead at the 300m then got into a three-way fight at the 100m before going down a neck and a nose. Rock On Wood ran a huge fourth and puts some doubt on the race depth as he got back and wide then got shoved deepest turning for home when the winner pushed out aggressively. The fact he could unleash and be beaten under two lengths, when a maiden debut winner then placed in a set weights and penalties 3yo (the runner up was Savvy Coup) does add the asterisk of uncertainty. Spring Heat ran on okay from last but the filly did not fully lengthen as the footing was not as dry as she needs. This filly blew away Xbox three starts ago on a dry track and that 3yo has since easily won a set weights and penalties race for the age group and fourth in this was Ever Loyal. The form just when it looks to be stacking up stumbles badly and is let down alarmingly to the extent it makes the overall depth looking inferior as too many are too close to each other over the line. There is no way possible that so many are that good in one crop as it is very rare to get two or three topliners in one 3yo season let alone more so logic must prevail. The Great Southern was not too bad and Maktoum will win back to an easier race next time out. Sensei pulled so hard for the first half of the race that rider Chris Johnson came back with longer arms and aching biceps. He cannot race like that and be anything else but a sprinter plus it needs to be noted he finished fifth in the G1 2000 Guineas albeit in a gap from the first four over the line. Hard Merchandize was exposed again and his G2 Hawkes Bay Guineas (1400m) win in October is looking like a fluke and over-watered wet track form. The rest were outclassed including surprisingly Haussmann (eighth in the G2 Hawkes Bay Guineas) but he now seems to need proper dry ground. Age Of Fire can continue to bolster the form worth of the first four home in the G1 2000 Guineas but until we see Embellish again, as fresh up he ran fourth behind Age Of Fire and Ever Loyal, the asterisk of doubt remains. The four names home in order in the G1 2000 Guineas are Embellish, Age Of Fire, Ever Loyal and Te Akau Shark.