| R7 TAURANGA | 23 March 2019 |
| Japan Nz Trophy G2 OPEN ($96,000), 1600m 1:34.94 | |
| Race Synopsis: This G2 mile Open under set weights and penalties saw the Australian bred mare Volpe Veloce remain undefeated on the track.
The winners and where they turned for home in race order were led (two lengths clear and one-off the fence), fourth (five-off the inside and a length from the leader), fourth (five-off the inside and a length and a half from the leader), led (one-off the inside and half a length ahead), led (three-off the inside and a length ahead), led (four-off the inside and a neck ahead), sixth (six-off the inside and two lengths from the leader) and co-leader (two off the fence).
The track bias towards on pacers was massive as usual with five leaders turning for home of the eight-race card scoring and no winner all day came from more than two lengths from the leader on straightening up.
Volpe Veloce enjoyed the drop back to G2 as her G1 is a very ordinary indeed of nine starts for one win and no placings.
She drifted back early today in a solidly enough run race particularly early on and she end up eleventh the outer then improved wide with cover across the top.
The 5yo mare then came forward with purpose to be seventh turning in and reached third at the 200m and then challenged at the 100m before taking the lead soon after.
She won by half a length and clocked 1:34.94 to record her twelfth win from twenty-four starts.
Watch This Space dashed through late for second after being held up near the home turn and the 7yo won this race in 2016.
True Enough was a big third beaten a length considering this was his first try at Blacktype and the usual pacemaker or on pacer settled well back the outer.
A check at the 250m when unleashing with serious intent did not help his cause at all and like the runner up, an ounce more luck at a critical time and either of them could have won this.
Endless Drama ran a better race when fourth and lost third money by a nose.
He settled down sixth the inner and then worked off midrace and then got let rip wide before the home turn, so went too early it seemed such was the speed of his surge.
The 7yo entire was up second turning for home in a flash and led at the 250m looking set for victory but was joined at the 100m and headed soon after.
If his turn of foot was unleashed a furlong later (even 100m later) then he may well have won this such was the sudden power of his surge.
William Wallace ran on very well from last and is getting near his best form for sure.
The Mitigator worked a bit to get the lead and then kept on the pressure before being headed at the 250m.
He was still fourth at the 100m before being swamped late.
Nicoletta worked up second the outer early then lost her place and fought on only fairly to be beaten less than three lengths.
Hiflyer settled down second last then improved wide across the top and made a very deep move near the home turn.
He could not sustain it and has been a major disappointment for a while now with no wins this season and in fact his last win came at Ruakaka in June last year over a field that has shown next to nothing since.
Elusive Treasure was not too bad after racing back and wide while Camino Rocoso from third or fourth the inner showed nothing.
Donna Anne Billy was outclassed again at Group level and Tiptronic, the stablemate of the winner, was a shocking twelfth beaten almost none lengths and continues his very hit and miss season.
He's Cavalier and Vinevale never got into the race at any stage and the latter may beckoning a broodmare paddock as her will to race and compete seems to have disappeared.
Seven runs this season and she has not even run a placing with a fifth the best effort so the mileage being added on her seems pointless at this stage.
Australian breds won three of the races today including this the G2 feature and it seems a common occurrence nowadays.
Volpe Veloce at G2 or lower level is always competitive and she did look thrown in here at 56kg but it is G1 where she has the biggest trouble as shown by her record at that level.
Her next start will likely be a G1 she can cope at being against just her own sex over the mile in what will be her tenth attempt at the highest accolade event.
There is a solid argument that second, third and fourth finishers today all could have won this with being held up at a key moment costing the placegetters and being let rip far too early an error on the fourth finisher.
William Wallace is a next upper and The Mitigator with a better barrier will give them something harder to rub down.
Nicoletta seems to be going around for the sake of going around much like Vinevale in this and both are surely bound for the matrons paddock.
Neither of them has shown the will to win for a while now with Nicoletta in her last five runs finishing sixth once and seventh four times.
Vinevale has not even paid a dividend this season.
Hiflyer has been flattering to deceive for quite a while now and where to next for him is a real quandary with perhaps the G2 Easter Handicap (1600m) in a month's time.
This was more a G3 field as too many non-winners for a while involved and half a dozen of the field had no chance whatsoever either showing no form for ages or not being of Group standard.
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Group 2 Windsor Park Stud Japan NZ International Trophy
1st: 3 Volpe Veloce (Michael McNab)
2nd: 5 Watch This Space (Vinnie Colgan)
3rd: 8 True Enough (Craig Grylls)
Tags: group international japan nz trophy
