Honey’s Steel Gold enjoyed a good run from her ideal barrier (2) and travelled along well behind the leader (The Bowler) following a moderate pace (first 1000m 63.12). He took a while to pick up when the pace increased in the straight, but he lifted passing the 100m to grab a good head win at the post. The Bowler went straight to the lead and set a slow tempo before sprinting clear passing the 400m, where he looked the winner, only to be caught nearing the post for second. Resistant was fifth one off the rails and moved up three wide with cover approaching the turn. He got to second at the 400m and then kept battling on for a sound third. The $2.60 favourite Lady Lakshmi, top weight with 59kg, was back in sixth place to the 700m and improved wide with cover rounding the home turn. She then kept fighting on fairly well in the straight, being unsuited by the sprint home tactics of the race, to finish fourth. Mysonharry was also disadvantaged by the slow tempo and ran on fairly well for fifth. *ANZ