This G1 1200m Open under set weights and penalties saw an upset winner at $36 beat home the trifecta from the G1 Railway (1200m) just under three weeks ago. Signify sat midfield and wide but with cover and when unleashed down the outer kept coming to reach sixth with 200m to go then started to pick them off one by one. The 5yo gelding after getting to second at the 50m then got up by a nostril flare to score in 1.07.71, which sounds as bionic as it is with this chute track and Riccarton posting times that simply cannot be trusted as reality. Always dismiss chute times for Trentham and Riccarton at 800m-1200m as they simply are not believable in the real world and you can probably add on a second and a half to two seconds to be more realistic every single time. South Island trained winners of the Telegraph are rare and since 1980 just three others have saluted in Flying View (1980), Fritz (2000) and Final Touch (2013). The race record for perspective is 1:06.51 by Bawalaksana in 1999 to show why the times must always be taken with a boulder of salt. Signify was winning his eighth race from thirty starts today and had not scored in a race prior since July 2016. Today was his eighth attempt in a Group or Listed race and he had missed until last November when second at G3 and last start second at Listed level. He relished having to carry just 55kg and at his first G1 outing did the business. Start Wondering sat wide handy then may have been surged into the lead too soon under the topweight of 58kg as he was a sitting duck the long run home. His win in the G1 Railway (1200m) prior came in a not genuine G1 field at all and the line-up today was not up to standard either and lacked real depth. The 2.5kg rise was not really what beat him on the line as it was clearly the wide run he was given and then being let rip to lead early the run home that caused his game but narrow defeat. Overconfidence cost Start Wondering a notable G1 sprint double. Perfect Fit ran a sound third and got half a length closer to Star Wondering at the line after being runner up too him in the Railway, so the 3kg swing in her favour did not have the desired effect at all. The mare once crossed early from the ace got back further than intended but got off in time and surged though to fourth at the 200m. She hit a slight flat spot then got going again late to be beaten just over three-quarters of a length. There was a deadheat for fourth between Reilly Lincoln and Lady Zafira with the former having finished third in her prior outing in the Railway, so that race stood up here but it was not a genuine G1 like today either. Reilly Lincoln raced third the outer and kept fighting on to be beaten just over a length. She had won a G3 two starts ago at Riccarton with 53kg and easily beat into second that day Signify, which carried 4.5kg more. Today he carried just 1kg more than her. Lady Zafira at $78 came from well back to run home stoutly down the outer and she has come up well this season. She won a Listed 1000m at Riccarton two starts ago at 53kg and tenth that day was Signify, which carried 6.5kg more and copped a check near the home turn by a rival breaking down ahead of him. Today he carried just 1.5kg more than Lady Zafira. Mighty Solomon ran on rather well from the back as did Brighton and Slice Of Class respectively. The first and last names will be winning again soon while the middle name is now a broodmare with this being her last race and throw of the dice to get some G1 blacktype. Speech Craft was luckless and found the line from back on the inner with the key for his chances being shut out of the inside run at the 250m when full of running. He was angled out and ran on between runners late but it could have been interesting if he had surged though unimpeded. Adventador, which won the race last year at $80, wilted late after sitting outside the pace and forcing the issue, with the next three home behind him in 2016 paying $34, $42 and $56. To show the Telegraph has become a set weights and penalties race for the blowouts and boilovers the winner in 2015 was Sacred Star at $27 over Designated Driver at $93. The year before the third finisher Jaggard was paying $72 a win. Passing Shot led and then was joined across the junction to the home turn before wilting, while Luna Rossa a fresh up 3yo filly was well back and wide but noticed finding the line the last 50m. Odyssey Moon had a horror run and was four four-wide at times in the midfield so did well not to drop right out and was beaten just over four lengths. He was found to have a diaphragmatic flutter post race. The rest weakened out or never got into the race but the tragedy of the race was First Serve, which started third favourite and was the only other South Island trained runner in the race bar the winner. The mare was on the pace initially then got crossed and became fired up before losing her place surrounded only to break down after 400m sadly. She fractured her fetlock joint of the right foreleg and was humanely euthanased. This did not look anywhere near a genuine G1 field on paper or computer screen and so it proved with the first three home from the G1 Railway at Ellerslie just under three weeks prior finishing second, third and fourth equal. The Railway also was nowhere near a genuine G1 sprint race and that form today was beaten by a South Island sprinter that had not won a race since last winter that was having a first ever G1 attempt. Signify has ability and the drop to 55kg was the biggest factor but where he goes next may have to be WFA and that will see where he really stands in the sprinting ranks. The apprentice rider Racha Cuneen was winning his second G1, after capturing the 1000 Guineas on La Diosa in the Spring and notably in the Telegraph last year he was second beaten a length on a $34 shot in Miss Seton Sands. The sprinting ranks are not as dire as the staying ranks as the New Zealand breed is in the main stamina orientated but the times they are a-changin’ to quote the Bob Dylan written and sung by him 1964 classic.