This G3 at WFA over 2000m drew a small field and three of the seven runners were handicappers either old or hopelessly out of their grade at this level, so it was a race in four on paper and screens. The winners and where they turned for home on a ten-race card were tenth, ninth, eighth, ninth, third, led, third, fourth, co-leader and second. The track was posted officially as a Good3 but all times were poor suggesting a hardness problem as for example the fastest 1200m was 1:10.52 and the fastest 1400m was 1:24.17 and they are not impressive at all. The best mile time recorded today was 1:35.50 in an Open Handicap so the track was not producing decent times all day and in fact was curiously tepid and restrictive. If the ground is too hard then almost all runners will not stretch out fully and extend properly as the instinct to not hurt themselves kicks in and not one race today saw even a half decent time recorded. After no leader could win up to this race it was no surprise in a WFA field over 2000m that lacked size and depth the leader could commit daylight robbery and Saint Emilion fit the bill. The natural leader got as cheap a lead as possible and idled along a length in front with zero pressure and the 7yo basically made it a 400m sprint home. The gelding is known to run some absolute shockers and prior to today had run last at G1 over WFA at 2040m beaten almost two dozen lengths. Here when he was joined at the 200m and in a ding donger at the 100m kicked back to lead at the 50m because he had something left in the locker due to getting away with murder in front. The winning margin was three-quarters of a length and the time a sedate 2:03.26 with the victory today being the fifteenth of his forty-one starts so far. Eleven of his wins have come after leading and the rest when sitting outside the pace or no worse than third in the running. He won this same race in 2016 in 2:02.51 and last year finished fifth in 2:04.77, all after leading, so he is very fussy indeed. Saint Emilion has won at G1 here at WFA over 2000m and is now a triple G3 winner with his entire blacktype record now reading 20 starts for one G1 win, three G3 wins and a single Listed placing. His stablemate in this the odds on Lizzie L'Amour never ever looked a winning chance after being settled down a clear last and standing up the winner a massive start still across the top. The mare may have been feeling the footing but you cannot win any race giving up such start at WFA. The hotpot was very strong the closing stages for second but bettors had known their fate about 1600m or just over a minute and a half earlier because the mare does not have to get so far back. She has won at G1 at WFA over 2000m sitting fourth the outer and fifth the outer well within range of the leaders. Hello It's Me raced third the inner on her own having the drop on them in effect and strode up to challenge at the 200m. She was in a ding donger still at the 100m but was outkicked thereafter and finished third at what was just her ninth outing. The 4yo mare has won at G2 as a 3yo filly and now has a G3 third on the record versus allcomers at WFA courtesy of a small field. Authentic Paddy has not won a race since a G1 over 2000m here at WFA last December and led up to clock 2:06.31 that day, which is an incredibly slow time and borderline trackwork, with Lizzie L'Amour second that day after sitting outside him it should be noted. In thirteen runs since the now 9yo gelding has recorded just two placings. The rest of this race were outclassed with Waipipi Lad a 9yo handicapper, El Fernando a three-win gelding facing a first ever blacktype race and Blue Breeze, also a three-win galloper. This result proved nothing except you leave a natural leader alone at your peril under the WFA scale and the footing presented was strange and not conducive at all for even reasonable times all day.