This G1 3yo over 1600m saw the clear cut favourite Madison County hand out a deadest drubbing to his rivals, many of whom go exposed today as sprinters only. The track at Riccarton started of a Heavy10 then got upgraded to be a Soft8 from R3 onwards and the times were a second to two seconds off standard most of the day. The winners in Race order and where they turned for home were seventh (widest and three lengths off lead), third outer (small field), seventh (widest and three lengths of lead), seventh (widest and four lengths of lead), fifth (small field widest and two and a half lengths of lead), fifth (up middle path and length of the lead), fifth (three off inside and two lengths of lead), led wide turning, led (2500m race) and tenth (widest and four lengths of lead). The bias was as plain as day or the nose on your face towards run on types and wider lanes the run home plus this track will dry right out for the midweek day and likely last day so some form reversals should occur. The 3yo male ranks this season so far have been dubious and definitely lacking genuine depth so the leading male this Spring in Madison County again showed why he is numero uno on rain-affected footing (this is the caveat). Madison County from a good gate did not waste it this time albeit losing his place in a mad early rush to be seventh the inside midrace and then got through and off fifth across the top well within striking range. His rider came further away from the inside lanes turning for home and ended up faced by a wall going nowhere ahead, so it could have been a glaring howler, as an unbeaten rival went right through closer in and led clearly at the 250m. The gelding got into clear air at the 300m and then set out after Dawn Patrol, which had accepted the too good an offer to refuse inside run to go from seventh to challenging at the 300m and lead soon after. Madison County loves wet ground and cut in the track so surged up and led at the 100m then put away his opposition to win by two and a half lengths in 1:37.73 and record his third win in six starts. He has never missed paying a dividend and now has a G1 and G2 on his resume and will now chase the rich Karaka Millions 3yo race early next year. Bettors saw graphically today the brutal reality of manmade track bias for bettors and how badly it can alter results and form worth as Madison County at his prior run to today had run fifth at G2 over 1400m at Te Rapa as a $1.70 hotpot. He got beaten almost four and a half lengths on an always absurdly biased towards on pacers and the inside lanes Te Rapa that has excessive sand-slitting and dreadful kickback so many runners never put in and do bettors money cold. The two that beat him home at Te Rapa ran today and the winner Sword Of Osman finished seventh beaten nine lengths and Qiji Express finished eighth beaten over eleven and a half lengths. They lost thirteen and a half lengths and fifteen and a half lengths to Madison County and that is ridiculous even if both look to be sprinters only, as they beat him at G2 over 1400m comfortably. Madison County is a surger but can take a closer sit in the running and should cope at middle distance but he is still not a proven top of the ground hard track 3yo, so the weather and overdone track watering can always be his BFF. Dawn Patrol was not away that well and settled down ninth the inside before gaining one spot across the top and turned for home seventh but not too far away and then was given a dream inside uncluttered run. The gelding strode through and led at the 250m clearly and looked the winner until caught at the 100m and he only just held onto second at the line by a lip, as the slower inside lanes anchored his tiring legs late. If he had won the race and Madison County finished second then that key moment turning for home would have been a headline howler rather than a G1kudos glory moment. Sir Nate trailed the leaders on the inner and went through closer in turning for home (but not as closer in as Dawn Patrol) and led before being headed at the 250m. He was third at the 150m and then got a second wind and was coming back at the line and missed second by a flared nostril. In A Twinkling ran a good fourth after settling back tenth and finding some strife then improving wide across the top and coming up the deepest runner turning for home and sixth. He sustained his run to reach fourth at the 300m and kept coming gamely to still finish fourth but he was just a nose and a long neck from second at the line. More Wonder was a stupendous fifth at $32 after blowing the start and giving the rest a three length start. He was in the rear trio the inner across the top then was angled out before the home turn and was drawn the widest runner at the 400m. The gelding surged into fifth at the 200m and sustained the run to finish still fifth but just a nose, long head and a neck from second. All up he got beaten just over three lengths, so the start cost him a G1 placing and clearly the wet footing helped his cause. The rest started coming home in gaps with Bit Lippy not totally disgraced finishing sixth beaten six and a half lengths. Sword Of Osman never puts in if he does not lead and after being eased to race sixth the outer was weak the run home and beaten nine lengths like he is a sprinter only and a one dimensional galloper. Qiji Express after being in the early burn wide and then settling second the outer stopped the run home to be eighth beaten over eleven and a half lengths after being asked way too much of in the running by his rider plus may be just a sprinter too. The rest were beaten almost fourteen lengths to forty-two lengths with the two maidens in the field filling the last two spots overt the line. The Chosen One, which was unbeaten coming into this like the runner up Dawn Patrol, was wide in the early drag race and then could not get in from fourth covering plenty of extra ground. He stopped badly but will live to fight another day after a big sleep and spell. The tricky biased Riccarton track made most of the results day meaningless and all wet track outcomes including this G1 3yo mile except the current best male of his age won this very easily. Too many of this field were sprinters only and many never copped the travel or track one iota, so still a lot of 3yo questions to ask and answer. The pecking order sees Madison County now the superior 3yo but there are two or three fillies here next week in the G1 1000 Guineas that may well be next best cabs off the rank. One of them in Melt has beaten Madison County and then ran second too him at G3, which looks very compelling form now. The effort of More Wonder does make the 2018 G1 2000 Guineas be put into proper perspective as not a deep field and still with asterisks galore, as he has not won a race since a 2yo last April and needs rain-affected footing. Three starts ago he could only run third in a race won by Media Sensation, a filly running in the G1 1000 Guineas, so the gals seem to have more depth in their ranks this season. The trend seems to be the 3yo ranks are not overly strong and that applies in Australia at the moment too though it can all change in the Autumn where this age group can make gigantic strides of improvement from unexposed lesser lights to glaring spotlights.