This Listed 2500m lead up to the G3 NZ Cup (3200m) seven days later saw a dominant staying win by the local Southern Sav in 2:35.54. The race saw the lead change a few times and Southern Sav after being back and wide looped the field and went clear across the top. He held a comfortable margin to the line and recorded his eighth win from forty-two starts. His form this season bar one blip has been good and he should be ready now to tackle 3200m. Blood Brotha ran a strong second and loves this track with the 10yo not showing his age at all today. He won the G3 NZ Cup in 2011 and 2012 with poignantly only a fourth finish each time in this 2500m lead up event. Jimmy Mac and Benzini ran a sound third and fourth respectively so will be spot on for the feature G3 NZ Cup in a weeks time. She’s Insatiable, Eva Keeneva and Lakota all ran for the same stable in this that of Terril Charles and Peter Corbitt. It is to their credit they all ran well to finish fifth, sixth and eighth with the first two names seen finding the line rather nicely late. Unless some rain appears many of those down the track today could not compete or beat the top names. Sureasyouwereborn stopped badly for a career worst effort so something surely not right as she can stay and is much better than that. The first four home are major players in the G3 NZ Cup in a weeks time while She’s Insatiable and Eva Keeneva would be a couple at double figures. Whoever wins next week will be chasing a 250K bonus if they then win either the G2 Wellington Cup or G1 Auckland Cup and if any runner can capture all three now back to normal 3200m events then $1 million is the karat carrot.