The track at Te Rapa made a comeback after some much needed remedial but the rail was out 6m and the footing looked rough out wide from ready to run trials, so it was a very manmade biased toward on pacers racing surface as usual. The winners in the eight races and where they turned for home in order were led, fourth (trail inner), sixth (three lengths off the lead), third, fourth, led, led and led. The first race was run almost seven lengths faster that the last at a mile and both leaders won, so the manmade biased track was colossally on display today and falsified the results. This G2 3yo over 1400m saw the leader win by a nasal hair from the trailer and the hot favourite run on late for a distant third but he was a million to one on where he settled down. Sword Of Osman was poorly rated in the lead last start at G2 and swamped into fifth in a 1:22.70 won race over 1400m when beaten almost three and a half lengths. Today at G2 too and the same trip he led but won in 1:23.77, so over a second inferior or six lengths, showing manmade track bias and being better rated in front matters mightily. The gelding was gifted this race on a platter so rival riders should know by now pressure is his undoing but many seemed to forget today. It was his fourth win in eight starts and his first as a 3yo and of course at 1400m, so if he is to run the mile in the G1 2000 Guineas it all comes to manmade track bias and how well he is rated in the running. Qiji Express at almost $20 a win compared to his hotpot stablemate Madison County ($1.70) led out then trailed the eventual winning leader. He was blocked at the 300m but worked out at the 200m and was coming at the 100m then looked sure to win at the 50m only for Sword Of Osman to fight hard and he somehow lost the bob. Make no mistake Qiji Express should have won. Madison County had blown away Sword Of Osman last start when winning at G2 over 1400m but today on a very manmade biased track with kickback galore the run home he could only finish third beaten almost four and a half lengths. Once he settled back from a good gate the colt was no win chance whatsoever and unless he is better ridden tactically in the G1 2000 Guineas his favouritism will be false. In a hard run race he beats them easily but most races are not run in reverse splits and when drawn well there is no reason whatsoever to get so far back as he did today. Madison County was 100-1 on settling down from a good gate and his much longer priced stablemate Qiji Express was short odds to win despite having drawn two gates wider much to the chagrin of bettors. Track bias matters and even more so when manmade, which is most of the time with rail movements and track maintenance today seeming to defy all logic and common sense. Madison County ran home well but was beaten by a length more today overall than he did the prior start at this level and trip when beating Sword Of Osman, so factor in that one second slower time and you have a floating six length window. Blue On Black sat outside the leader and never attacked to run fourth beaten over five lengths while Bit Lippy ran on after settling a spot behind Madison County and was three-quarters of a length further back. He was a length and a quarter behind Madison County at the finish after the latter was taken widest the run home and in some ordinary footing while the latter came through closer in. Quizmaster ran on from last while Notabadidea was weak again after sitting fourth and he looks a wet tracker only. The maiden filly Rip Em Up got back and plugged on late while Arrogant, a maiden colt, also plugged away and both would be favourite back to the dunce class. Rip Em Up would be odds on in fact. Dratini stopped badly and was outclassed. This was a result of manmade track bias and the poor punter has to cop the fact a G2 winner last start could only run a distant third today and the fifth finisher from that same race comes out and wins today. Such is the minefield maze of track bias where decent margins of defeat can be turned around and increased the other way, so it proves nothing on pecking order and in fact acts only as a presumption panel-beater (confidence denter). The rider of Madison County must know he cannot give Sword Of Osman a six lengths start with just 600m to go in a race they have barely run under standard maiden time in on a manmade biased track. The extra 200m at Riccarton should help but that track too can be very manmade biased towards on pacers and the G1 2000 Guineas has been run tepidly before. Sword Of Osman can go quicker but Madison County then also does not have to sit so far back, especially if drawn well, so it will be battle of rider wits where one has to get on his bike earlier and the other wants to push the go sprint button as late as possible. Lining up the colours of the silks of the main players and racing patterns they possess may well be the Rubik's Cube of the 2018 G1 2000 Guineas bearing in mind some people can solve it in a few seconds.