Royal Descent was a distant seventh early, improving along the rails from the 1400m then switched between runners at the 800m. She went back to the rails nearing the home and moved up strongly to take the lead on straightening and raced right away for a most impressive victory, winning by ten lengths. Dear Demi raced in second last place in the ten-horse field before tracking up three wide with cover from the 800m but she was under pressure nearing the turn, went to the centre of the track at the 300m and ran on for a distant second. Gondokoro was last to 600m, got between runners at the turn and made ground late to take the minor placing. Habibi was about seventh, three wide with cover, before moving up wide from the 1000m. She was hard ridden from the 600m and struggled from that point to finish a distant fourth, racing below her best on the Heavy10 conditions. Longport was ridden off the pace in third spot, one off the rails, improved wide at the 600m to be second at the home turn. But she tired from the 200m to finish a distant fifth, struggling to run out the 2400m. NZ Oaks (Gr 1, 2400m) winner More Than Sacred led, setting a slow tempo, but she dropped out from the home turn to finish a disappointing ninth. *ANZ