International New Zealand| R9 RICCARTON PARK | 12 November 2014 |
| 10th Coupland's Bakeries Mile G2 SPEC ($212,000), 1600m 1:37.56 | |
| Race Synopsis: The timid nature of the G2 mile today and the trouble many runners found puts the result in doubt as being a truly legitimate outcome plus factor in the leader and inside bias later in the card today for one turn events.
Addictive Habit, a wet tracker that had been beaten comprehensively at G1 under WFA at Hastings over 2040m three runs ago behind Costume (since beaten out of sight at Flemington) hung on to win by a head.
He had led early then took a trail but the leader Albany Reunion for some reason came off the fence across the top for rider Mark Du Plessis and this won the race for Addictive Habit for sure.
His in form rider Danielle Johnson went through to share what was not a great pace and got the faster lane the run home to go clear at the 200m then fell in late to hold on.
The winning time was an ordinary 1:37.56 and that is disgraceful for a G2 event let alone this race.
Last year the leader (on pacers have a good record) Scapolo bolted in on the faster lane and clocked 1:34.62 (or almost eighteen lengths superior) on the same rated Good3 track.
This year Scapolo found all sorts of trouble when shuffled back to the midfield and beat three home as favourite almost nine lengths from the winner.
More perspective about time and this race is the current track record for a mile came via this race in 2008 when Mufhasa sat outside the pace and spurted clear the run home on the faster lanes.
He ran 1:32.83 which if believed is about twenty-eighth lengths superior to Addictive Habit.
Leading into today Addictive Habit had raced nine times on good footing for just one placing, so the result is looking more untrustworthy by the second.
The final piece of perspective is the maiden winner in the race that followed this, Libetto, led and used the faster inner lanes to go clear then fall in and clocked 1:38.33 or less than five lengths inferior.
A maiden at her eighteenth start ran comparable time to the G2 feature.
The runner up Nashville should have won and he came into the race after a shocking effort prior and had in fact been racing below par for most of the spring.
He is a G1 mile winner at WFA so when in the right race and ridden appropriately is a serious enough galloper at the trip.
He carried 59kg and was ridden cold before unleashing down the outer in his usual style and did look likely to get up at the 50m.
His will to win may be waning and he is still to score this season.
He ran sixth beaten less than four lengths in the G1 2040m at WFA that Addictive Habit finished tenth beaten six and a half lengths.
Silverdale ran on well for third and staying the inside turning for home was important too.
Waikaha ran a sound fourth for a lightly tried 5yo mare while Albany Reunion was a perplexing ride tactically as the plan could never ever work.
The eyecatcher and a most improved mare was Miss Three Stars that steamed home late once into clear air down the outer.
El Chico was not too bad late but he is a 10yo.
Emerald Queen was caught wide throughout so her effort brave enough after being poorly ridden.
Cosmic Cube had a perfect sit but was not good enough while Madam Victoria was okay but had her chance though she does have scope.
Ric O’Shea and Pencuri both ran not too bad and would be backable the next time they appear if in realistic races.
Our Bee Jay was a most unusual ride and the less said the better the run home being angled the deepest then back inwards 100m latter.
Scapolo can be forgiven as mentioned earlier.
Irish Excuse was outclassed and Biologist was poor but some of those on the inner copped strife so forgive and add in the trip down to the South Island is not always a pleasant one for thoroughbreds.
A result that cannot be trusted on form as the runner up should have won and was out of form while the actual winner is a wet tracker and had flopped at his two prior outings.
The time was diabolically bad and many runners found trouble early and even after 400m such was the nature of the race.
If some of these meet again the outcomes will change every time as the race pattern, track bias and strange riding tactics employed by several jockeys just made it a befuddling run race.
The only thing certain is they will never ever go this poor a time in a G2 mile (1:37.56) on a Good3 rated track anywhere in New Zealand.
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Addictive Habit wins the 2014 Gr.2 Coupland's Bakeries Mile at Riccarton
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