This Listed 1100 Open Handicap drew a disappointing small field but at least it had assured pace with the resuming Bostonian proving too good on his favoured wet footing. The track at Pukekohe copped some rain in the morning and was downgraded from a Dead5 to a Slow7 and it raced biased all day. The winners and where they turned for home in order were third and widest, fifth and second widest, third and wide, fourth and second widest, ninth inner (four lengths off lead…angled off at 400m), thirteen and widest (four and a half lengths off lead), led (five off fence), third (six-off the fence) then finally fourth and second widest. To say the insides lanes were no go areas and a surefire loser all day is an understatement and the times were two to three seconds and a lot more in some events inferior to standard. The track was very biased against leaders (none won all day) with a couple of thirds only to show for the pacesetters throughout the nine race card and this circuit is very flat so leaders can often pinch winning breaks. Bostonian was soon up second then got a great run fourth the outer until moving into third turning for home and then reaching second at the 300m. The 4yo led at the 200m and went clear at the 100m revelling in the slow footing to score by a length and a half and he clocked 1:05.25, which compared to the Listed juvenile feature held earlier in the day was over thirteen lengths superior. Bostonian was winning his seventh race from ten starts and four of those successes have come at G3 (once) and Listed level (three times) but it should also be pointed out all his blacktype victories so far have come on slow or heavy footing. Santa Monica ran home strongly for second from last on settling after being clearly slow out and a length behind the rest at the jump. The four-win mare has been honest in her two prior blacktype starts so was due to get some blacktype and picked the right soft race today. Pop Star Princess just held third money in a tight three-way photo on the line and the three-win mare was rising multiple grades for the first time today and coped showing the field lacked any real depth. Power Dream, a two win mare fresh up and rising multiple grades missed getting a Listed third by a short head after racing handy the inner and once again it showed the field was overall not very strong at all. Princess Kereru was hampered at the start and settled back on the inner but came through with purpose closer in and reached third at the 100m only to finish fifth beaten a nose and a short head from third place. Rikki Tikki Tavi was battling away sixth and Mighty Me a plugging seventh while the leader Rich Billie Marsh stopped to finish second last. Untamed Diamond had a wide run fourth or fifth and stopped to finish last but was just under six lengths from the winner. Five of the nine races today at Pukekohe where won by non-New Zealand breds and significantly three of those five wins came in the blacktype events. Australian breds formed the quinella in a G2 fillies and mares event at 1400m, won the Listed juvenile event over 1100m and formed the quinella in an Open Handicap mile, while Germany provided the G2 2100m Cup winner and Ireland won a Benchmark 85 at 1400m. Over half the card were won by non-New Zealand breds and at a range of distances and age groups tellingly but this Listed event saw the all New Zealand bred Bostonian grab one of the four blacktype races on offer today. This was a weak field overall and Bostonian as he should, beat them with some comfort to spare. He will be set for the two G1 set weights and penalties 1200m sprints over summer at Ellerslie (Railway Handicap) and Trentham (Telegraph Handicap). Whether he is a dry track galloper is very debatable at the moment and he could perhaps get away with one run on a hard track but two could be asking a bit much. He will need cut in the ground at least to be a force but the sprinting depth is not strong at the moment in New Zealand with the 4yo mare Melody Belle the highest rated runner by a significant margin.