This G3 2400m Open Handicap saw a unique thing happen for the second time in a week but it may in fact be a sign of the changing breeding times. A 4yo Australian bred won a G3 2400m for the second time in seven days in New Zealand in Charles Road today after Magic Chai captured the Wellington Cup last Saturday. Stamina breds once the domain of New Zealand only has looked a crumbling façade in the last few years at least and the Australian bred Mongolian Khan winning the 2015 G1 Caulfield Cup (2400m) as a 4yo was more recent evidence, as he had also won the G1 NZ Derby earlier that year. Charles Road moved up second early then took a sit fourth the outer before striding up and taking the lead 300m out. The 4yo gelding kept digging deep to score by a neck in 2:27.55 and it is worth noting as a 3yo on this track he ran a sound sixth in the G1 NZ Derby that was run and won in 2:28.27. It was his fourth win in fifteen starts and he has been slow to find form this campaign but now in it is holding it well and today was his seventh run in so not too many more times left to go to the well it seems. Five To Midnight ran on well for second and at this time of the year he is a Cups regular in the photo and paying dividends. He gave the winner 5.5kg today so that gap will close appreciably when they meet next if they do in fact this season. Comin’ Through ran on well for third from sixth or seventh the inner and was beaten just over half a length. He seems to be a middle distance grinder with four runs at 2200m to 2400m having returned a third, a fourth and two fifths. Wildflower ran on well again from the rear for fourth and only needs to settle down not so far away to become a win threat. Zacada was honest fifth beaten just over a length and a half after settling eighth the outer and moving closer wide turning for home, August Edition was sixth beaten just over two lengths after trailing third the inner and having every conceivable chance. Von Tunzelman was running on late but overall disappointing in finishing seventh beaten over four lengths as the favourite and just maybe he is vulnerable clockwise now in Open Class and racing in Group level often. He deserves another chance as his good days are impressive but he can look brittle too and confound bettors. Benzini was wide in the rear trio the entire race and you cannot win at Group level that far back and doing overtime so to be beaten six lengths only was not too bad under 60kg. Symphonic was disappointing and Diesel was checked at the 250m but was not going well enough to be threat at the time. Gobstopper led up and stopped fast once headed at the 300m and the worry is he has raced five times clockwise (twice in Australia) and is yet to pay a dividend. Smedley was outclassed and had a wide trip so unsurprisingly dropped right out to be beaten almost twenty-two lengths. The staying ranks have never looked more shallow in New Zealand and the G1 Auckland Cup (3200) on March 10 is looking a weaker and weaker field by the day. Charles Road is not nominated for it at the moment so only a late payment could alter that. Ironically an Australian bred 4yo in Magic Chai may start favourite looking at what is left to run in and it will not be a true G1 field whatsoever but then again that race has not been for many years in a row this century. Staying races have never seemed so weak in New Zealand and the buzz of finding the main Cup winners each season has lost all lustre in recent years as genuine stamina is so patently lacking.