This G2 1600m at WFA for fillies and mares drew only eight runners and the first seven home were separated by just two lengths. The Te Rapa track started off a Dead5 then was quickly upgraded to a Dead4 then a torrential downpour saw the last two races be delayed and run on a Dead6. The winners and where they turned for home in race order were fifth (length and a half from the leader), third (length and a half from leader), second (outer), fifth (three and a half lengths from leader), seventh (four lengths from the leader), seventh (four lengths from the leader), second (two-off the fence and a length from the leader), ninth (two and a half lengths from the leader) and fifth (two and a half lengths from the leader). Belle Du Nord had won just the single race coming into today, a juvenile event in March of 2017, but the now 4yo mare was able to bury her seven other rivals today under the WFA scale and win at G2. She sat back the outer and turned for home second last and the deepest turning in about four lengths from the leaders but closing rapidly and her surge saw the mare lead at the 100m. She scored by half a length in 1:35.27 to record her second win from sixteen starts and obviously posted her first Blacktype win. Lizzie L'Amour won this last year and after racing fifth the outer tried hard but could not quite defend her crown. Supera put some real doubt on just how strong this race and result really is by being wide near the pace then going up second the outer across the top and leading at the 300m. The 4yo mare was headed at the 100m but fought hard and was beaten less than a length in her second ever G2 attempt. She had been beaten out of sight last season at 2100m on a bog so maybe the footing and trip proved a one-two punch but her effort today at WFA against her own sex was brave. Love Affair, the runner up in this a year ago, was last away and then booted through to be fourth the inner and once angled off the run home was sixth and not picking up but she kept coming the closing stages to finish fourth beaten a length. Piece Of Kate confirmed this was a dubious result by coming from last to finish fifth beaten just over a length as she he had flopped at all her Blacktype attempts before this badly but today at G2 under WFA the 6yo produced a career best effort. Bisou Bisou won at G2 under WFA against her own sex last start but today could only finish sixth albeit just over a length and a quarter from the winner. Maybe it was the mile as the farthest she has paid a dividend at is 1500m and those placing came at Wairoa and Omoto, which are both very low tier tracks. Nicoletta after racing third the outer mostly had every conceivable chance and while beaten just two lengths the dual G1 placed mare should have done more. Caprikosa led up and stopped to finish last beaten four and a half lengths in what was her fourth attempt at either G1 or G2 against her own sex and the best she has done so far is a fifth and a sixth. The bunched nature of the finish bar one runner more than suggests this was an iffy race and result and it is more to do with this sand-slitted biased track as many horses do not produce anywhere near the best at this venue. Belle Du Nord has ability clearly but she was a shy winner and up until today the 4yo mare had only won as a juvenile. She was a distant third and fifth last season as a filly in Adelaide at Listed level to give you an idea of the form grade she really is. Supera was a big third and showed this was a soft G2 though being a 4yo there is a lot more to come if this performance can be repeated and bettered. Piece Of Kate finishing a close up fifth was the absolute confirmation this was a suspect race field for genuine depth and that the result was totally unreliable. Form can flip quite incredibly at the Te Rapa track as flops here often come out and win at Group level next start on a more natural and normal soil and turf track, so always forgive a fail here for a myriad of reasons. Manmade track bias is a big factor and the kickback of excessive sand is another as so many horses do not put in genuinely at the venue with the most recent glaring example the G1 2000 Guineas winner Madison County. He had when odds on run a very distant third here at G2 and then came out and bolted in at G1 at Riccarton next start and decimated those that beat him home at Te Rapa by colossal margins