This G2 at WFA over 1200m saw an Irish bred 8yo Endless Drama show how much easier he is finding New Zealand depth with a second G2 success since sent here when not G1 competitive in Australia. The former Chris Waller prepared runner in Sydney and now with Tony Pike in Cambridge will after today's win chase G1 victory at Hastings next to get his stallion dance card up to some sort of scratch. The track at Te Rapa was once again incredibly manmade biased and the winning width all day was between three-off and six-off the inside. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were fourth (four-off the inside and a length from the leader), fourth (four-off the inside and a length and a half from the leader), third (six-off the inside and two lengths from the leader), third (six-off the inside and a length and a half from the leader), sixth (three-off the inside and a length and a half from the leader), sixth (six-off the inside and four lengths from the leader), eighth (three-off the inside and five lengths from the leader) and co-leader (four-off the inside). Endless Drama has now won five of his twenty-eight starts and three of those have come at G2 plus he looks more of sprinter nowadays only that can stretch to the mile if the opposition is not top shelf. He settled down sixth the outer and was stoked up wide near the home to get within reasonable range considering the absurd manmade track bias on display as usual at Te Rapa. Endless Drama turned for home still sixth but closer and he had a two length buffer on Te Akau Shark it needs to be noted that was also being asked to start winding up prior to the home turn. Surprisingly at the 300m the surge of Endless Drama saw him quicken better than Te Akau Shark and extend to a three length lead on it, which is important as the official winning margin was three-quarters of a length. Had the explosiveness of Te Akau Shark seen last year saw him reduce the deficit between him and Endless Drama at the 300m to say the 200m then a different result was very possible. Endless Drama sustained his run to be third at the 200m and 100n then challenged at the 50m and led at the 25m to clock 1:13.44, which was a perplexingly poor time. One race after this, so the track certainly had not improved, a Benchmark 65 winner Tellyawhat, a well tried 6yo, won in 1:14.38 or less than a second inferior or under six lengths worse than a G2 at WFA. The gap between a Benchmark 65 and G2 is five grades at least and more than a second or six lengths so the time aspect is troubling and makes any closing sectionals to not be to be trumpeted with any conviction at all. Two factors need to be pointed out and that is Endless Drama is a big slab of a horse like Te Akau Shark so when they hit full stretch they are hard to hold out and both devour the ground. The other aspect today is Endless Drama was six-off the inside the run home and Te Akau Shark came about two widths wider, so it is not like the strips were like chalk and cheese. Te Akau Shark started odds on so make no mistake, it was very ready and the betting confidence showed as such. The tangerine army expected the tangerine Shark to win after two trials and two wins plus he had been working up a storm. The 5yo was steadied at the start and sat cold second last before being asked to lengthen wide across the top and when he got to within two lengths of Endless Drama his rider would have been content the gameplan was unfolding perfectly. This turned to tangerine custard when at the 300m Endless Drama quickened better and pinched another length and the rider of Te Akau Shark then had to wield the whip hard to get a comparable response. Te Akau Shark hits the ground as hard as a heavy duty machinery tamping rammer and the sand was exploding out of the track as he got asked to make up a deficit and set full sail. He was ninth and deepest turning in and reached sixth at the 200m, so he got to the position that Endless Drama had turning in and therefore took 200m to start to properly wind up. Usually his surge is quicker and more dynamic but first run back in ages and an awfully manmade biased track were both factors against him. The dorsal fin of Te Akau Shark had him stabilized properly and starting to get into full feeding frenzy mode with 50m to go and he reached second at the 25m. It took him an eternity to find his top end speed and power but that should arrive earlier on better footing though he does not want a hard track as then his fragility from hitting the ground so hard can flare up again. He lost no admirers and ran the fastest closing split but on overall race times it was not as impressive as many jumped to assume and he lost the chance to win the race when Endless Drama quickened better than him early in the run home. The overall result also loses lustre when Comeback, a Winter handicapper that has tried Listed level once and been found out badly, runs third today at G2 under WFA and is just a length away from winning. Sure the manmade track bias helped Comeback as he trailed the leaders but that does not help a horse fight on the closing stages and finish so close when clearly not a Group galloper under WFA. Flip the manmade tracks bias and use this actual race finish on its own and Comeback was therefore the first horse home that raced near the speed, so the result is skewed for sure. Melody Belle ran a sound fourth after working up wide third early then slotting in fourth the outer and turning for home fifth. The mare reached fourth at the 200m and did not ping as usual but that is more because she likes the 1400m or further these days to haul in her prey. Interesting she finished a length and a half behind Comeback, a horse she would beat by double digits in terms of lengths under fair and normal conditions. Helena Baby was a game run and more unheralded than many think as despite the commentator saying the race was a 'perfect dispatch' like a broken record this 5yo dwelt a fraction and is clearly last away. Remember it is usually an on pacer so to be last away at a first G2 attempt and under WFA is a fact that should be told and not masked by some farcical faux perfect start speak. Helena Bay was then used up wide to reach fifth deep and was third wide still across the top working all the time, so his overlander came about due to solely being last away and not getting a perfect start. He was fifth at the 200m and 100m and forgivable if the effort told but he dug deep and fought hard to miss fourth by just half a head. The start was ever so costly for Helena Baby and to do what he did today was very brave but also puts another layer of doubt on the overall depth of the field. Malambo led up and kicked away early the run home but was caught at the 50m and swamped late to finish sixth beaten over three lengths. Sentimental Miss was an eyecatcher for seventh beaten just over three and a half lengths after settling down last the inner. The 4yo once angled off the inside a width found the line well fresh up considering she is more a middle distance type. Seventh Up warmed up very late from well back the inner and his was another effort that put the race and result in doubt being a 9yo. The rest showed no real dash and were beaten seven lengths and up to a dozen lengths. Many of this field were underdone and fresh up needing more distance so the result was always going to be dubious but still the three best horses in the field ran first, second and fourth. Endless Drama will try for a soft G1 by staying in New Zealand then may go to Perth over summer for that elusive and much needed Australian G1 but all the West Australian guns will not be there so it is another cherry pick. The superstar Arcadia Queen for example is now with Chris Waller and could be undefeated this Spring chasing colossal Stakemoney in Sydney then maybe Melbourne. Te Akau Shark has never raced clockwise but won a trial that direction (he beat Jon Snow that day) so tackling the Tramway in two weeks right-handed will be a stepping-stone to the G1 Epsom under Handicap conditions. Then he may come to Moonee Valley for the Cox Plate if everything went swimmingly but that is a massive if and hard tracks are always his Achilles heel or fin. The manmade track bias at Te Rapa is so bad that it must be factored in every time for Group race analysis and last season a perfect example was Madison County at $1.70 ran a distant third (beaten almost four and a half lengths) at Te Rapa after settling back in a G2 3yo. Next time out at Riccarton he blew away a 3yo field at G and demolished his conquerors. Te Akau Shark likes wet ground as show by in five runs on dead, slow or heavy ground he has won four times and ran that second he did today, his first defeat under such conditions. Sharks need water to flourish and feast but he will get a first clockwise audition if seen next as expected in Sydney looking for a soft kill before an assault on the Epsom. Never trust a Te Rapa blacktype result as being a guide or credible to analyse another Group race properly as that is sheer folly with proof time and time again showing it is not possible and like a broken pencil, pointless.