The G1 2000 Guineas (1600m) today was the forty-third running of the event and saw perhaps the most devastating winner and certainly the fastest ever in Xtravagant. The colt sped over from a wide gate to lead after 200m and then kept the pace reasonable with a slight breather across the top before unleashing a blistering last 400m to clock a race record 1:33.59. If the time was not sublime then the margin of eight and a half lengths was as big a G1 beating dished out as you will see for this age group. Xtravagant is by Pentire, the sire of the 2015 upset Melbourne Cup winner Prince Of Penzance that also saw the first female rider to ever win the race in Michelle Payne. The dam of Xtravagant is by Zabeel and this is where he can get middle distance and perhaps the Derby trip for all his brilliance. The showy colt ran about a minute for the first 1000m and then gave nothing else any chance with his final 600m that saw him detonated and given full bore at the 400m. The runner up was a maiden in Battle Time that had trailed and while unable to go with the winner did rally gamely. He would be the hottest favourite imaginable should he ever tackle a regulation maiden to feel what winning is like. The lone filly in the field Serena Miss ran a good third after settling midfield the inner then getting out into clear air at the 300m but by this stage Xtravagant was in full flight and long gone. Brighton ran on well closer in from the rear to get fourth while Slice Of Cake fought on okay for such little raceday experience. Another maiden in the field Son Of Maher battled on for sixth and did the South Island proud, so expect him to be odds on when in a straight maiden. Amarula sat outside the winner but felt the burn turning for home and weakened to seventh. Ali Baba was not too bad late and is still learning how to be a racehorse while forgive The Justice League as he was wide and working the whole way in a record run race. The Justice League may be just a sprinter but deserves another try at the mile as unlikely to strike a race run like this or do any more work than he did today. The rest were either found out at the mile or outclassed. Xtravagant could be the next rising star of New Zealand racing left-handed as clockwise is going to be the issue that needs correcting when you realize that some of the biggest events each season are run right-handed. It was his third win in five starts with more to come being an understatement. Xtravagant is a full brother to He’s Remarkable (6 wins) that won a G1 Railway (1600m) Western Australia, also in the month of November, only to lose it in the stewards room. Interestingly at 2000m or more He’s Remarkable was tried five times for one placing. His little brother has achieved what he could not but big brother won twice clockwise, which is something Xtravagant is yet to manage and may not even try to do so. He could be looking at the G1 Australian Guineas at Flemington if left-handed is the focus of his 2016 campaign. The superior freakish mile time for a 3yo at G1 level saw a little colt beat the older horses in 1983 called McGinty when winning the George Adams (now known as the Thorndon Mile). He ran 1:32.99 (it got rounded up to 1:33 as the track record that still stands at Trentham today) for a then race record win obviously too. Jimmy Cassidy, the just recently retired rider, rode McGinty for trainer Colin Jillings and the colourful owners that included race commentator Keith Haub. Battle Time must be the best maiden in New Zealand at the moment as he now has two G1 placings, a G2 placing and a Listed placing. Serena Miss is the best filly in New Zealand bar Serious Satire (out spelling) and she should use her size to dominate her own sex this campaign. Brighton ran well and has found his best form again. There is scope for several in this namely Slice Of Cake and Ali Baba to name just a couple. All the accolades however are with Xtravagant as the daylight he put between himself and the rest from the 400m to the finishing line was an utter G1 demolition.