Hastings was rampantly manmade biased today with a strip unused for many months the usual suspect and once again the track presented played the leading role on this G1 raceday. In a nine race card six of the winners led or raced close to the pace and the track was sluggish too as the times suggested due to some rain two days prior. The biggest worry is the manmade bias could have been worse than the already way too high strike rate today if the footing was dry. Kawi defended his G1 WFA 1400m crown today despite having had a minor wind operation since last having raced and he has all runners covered in New Zealand over this trip. It was his twelfth win today in twenty-five starts and over the 1400m (his best trip) he has raced ten times for seven wins, two seconds and a very close up fourth. The 6yo gelding got the type of race he likes in that the leaders went silly early and after sitting eighth wide with perfect cover was stoked up turning for home centre track before being detonated, His customary surge saw him reach second at the 200m then on momentum he led at the 100m to win by just under a length and a half in 1:24.87. The time was almost one and half seconds superior to the next best 1400m clocking on the day or nine lengths, so no surprise it was an all run on finish with the trifecta coming from eighth, ninth and thirteenth turning for home. El Pescado and Farm Boy ran home strongly for second and third respectively at almost $30 and over $50 and both interestingly were second up. Each will improve for the next leg of the Triple Crown over a mile but in saying that so will the winner Kawi. Longchamp was the first runner home that was involved in the early drag race and then sitting in third across the top clearly helped. However his rider clearly pushed the go button too soon and led at the 300m before being caught and passed at the 100m and then missing paying a dividend the final 50m. The effort was super as he got used up twice in the running and may well have finished second in this ridden a tad less aggressively. Authentic Paddy ran his usual honest race for fifth and kept on keeping on to the line. Battle Time was very good for fifth and uber-brave as he was wide throughout and basically gave Kawi a slipstream for a large portion of the race. He raced third at the 200m before wilting but had too after such an effort and was only beaten just under three lengths. Our Vergara is an improver as she was in the madness on the speed early before being headed at the 850m and trailing fourth but she stuck too her guns the run home to be beaten less than three lengths. Mime is a total forgive after being handy on the inner early then getting shuffled back to midfield the fence as the 4yo mare was badly held up at the 300m. Capella and Stolen dance both looked next uppers after running on late. The former was tardy and got back but kept coming while the latter, usually able to race handy, was crowded early and got well back but seen to be finding the line. Hasselhoof was back and wide and last turning for home but was warming up far too late the final stages and he has a bigger watch than Baywatch at its peak on him next time seen out. Bohemian Lilly weakened to twelfth beaten just over seven lengths but the run was not too bad fresh up as she was wide then throttling for the lead before crossing over at the 850m only to have company from that point onwards. She should peak for the last leg of the Triple Crown over 2040m just like Hasselhoof. Southern Icon got exposed at WFA again today and maybe G1 is beyond him after doing a lot of work wide on the pace or outside the leader. Ginner Hart was average and No More Tears poor while Valley Girl, the second favourite was dreadful finishing a clear last. She has subsequently been retired after a stress fracture of the radial bone was found and is not being risked as a racing proposition after it heals so becoming a broodmare is her future. The mandmade biased track and tricky footing that was borderline between dead and slow footing dulled the meeting as in two thirds of the races those sitting midfield or further away had no winning hope whatsoever. Kawi was too good but he had shown that a year ago at WFA in New Zealand and especially over 1400m so after tackling the mile here next time out surely has to prove his mettle in Australia. The jury must still be out however if fair-minded regarding how strong this race really was and its worth overall as too many today had legitimate excuses at the start and too many were ridden way too aggressively early wide in the lead with the throttle left open for almost half the race. It is also the fifty percent win strike rate of Kawi that is an issue too as really top horses do not ever get beaten that often and that fact alone also bigly trumps any argument you can only beat what is in front of your as he has solely raced in New Zealand that lacks genuine WFA depth. The fuse has been lit for Spring, which does not start for five more days it should be noted, as Kawi may or may not be in New Zealand still after three weeks time and the second leg of the Hawke’s Bay Triple Crown.