The bane of bettors in track bias reared its ugly head at Te Rapa today and being manmade it irks even more. Te Rapa is the most biased track in New Zealand already with such dense sand-slitting but today ran at 100% for the on pace and inside bias and that is unheard of as usually one race sees too many riders go silly and set up the backrunners. Every winner either led (four) or trailed (four) and the G2 at WFA victor here Addictive Habit was fifth and wide early before being third and challenging near the home turn. A 100% bias is staggering and a total bettor dislike as threequarters at least of every single race are no chance soon after the gates crash open. Any runner tardy or snagged by its rider is no chance whatsoever and that alone makes wagerers want to live to fight another day as they simply do not trust the racing as fair and who can blame them. This race has been upgraded to G2 status and was considered the lead up to the first G1 at Hastings in two weeks but that and the form must be questionable now with the way the track was presented and raced. Addictive Habit caused two surprises in that he could win at 1200m these days plus sit wide and prevail against this line up. His fitness levels mattered having been racing in Queensland over winter but he had been well beaten twice (at G1 and G3) then scored in a weak Listed field before finishing third in an also far from strong line up. Addictive Habit was winning his ninth race today and his second G2 event having won at this level at Riccarton over a mile last November. He clocked 1:12.69 today on footing that definitely was not as bad as a Slow9 means but that is sand-slitting to a tee as the times do not mirror the track rating so it is purely a cosmetic thing. The runner up over the line in Kawi ran home hard but was relegated to fifth after stewards correctly deemed he had taken the line haphazardly halfway up the straight of Whosyourmaster (finished fourth equal). Kawi was tardy and then his rider Jonathan Parkes hooked several widths of the inside dramatically at the 250m without bothering to even look and caused an at the time unleashing hard Whosyourmaster to check abruptly. It was careless and dangerous riding and deemed so by stewards who relegated Kawi to fifth and rubbed out Parkes up too and including September 5. Tomorrowland sat outside the pace and fought well to be only caught the final stages and was promoted from third to second. His speed was an asset today and can only improve further though he paraded in splendid order and was certainly fit enough. The rules of New Zealand racing mean if a runner is promoted then anything it deadheats with comes up at the same time. Whosyourmaster after being slow and a clear last on settling drove through late for fourth equal to be beaten just under a length and a half. It was a super effort and he would have won for sure if able to stay in touch a tad better and of course did not cop the Kawi interference. The Filly that raced close throughout fought hard for fourth equal and came up onto the podium via promotion with Whosyourmaster. Kawi was super but will need a new rider for Hastings and whoever that is they may well keep the ride should it result in a win at the first G1 of the season. Soriano ran on well from the back late and was less than two lengths from the winner. Ryan Mark was swamped late for seventh beaten two and a half lengths and looked like his trainer had left something specifically for the G1 at Hastings in a fortnight. Flower Bomb battled well for a G2 at WFA while Spin Doctor did okay on his favourite track. The trainer and connections of this course specialist may rue the decision to go back when the winner went forward albeit wide and got the reward. Second Time was jumping umpteen grades and depth here but ran tenth beaten just over four lengths so her season as a 4yo mare looks likely to be lucrative. Pondarosa Miss was warming up late but 1200m is too short considering her yard have Cups aims in Melbourne this spring. Aaja Nachle and Oceania were outclassed and Barbaric has now gone two absolute shockers since resuming. A brave and gritty win by Addictive Habit with his core fitness from Queensland racing over winter and being able to go forward early pivotal. G2 looks his level at this stage with no evidence he is a G1 galloper (five runs so far for a seventh, ninth, tenth and eleventh in New Zealand plus a thirteenth at Doomben) but the opposition may well have got a lot weaker at home. We shall find out early spring if he is now a G1 galloper in New Zealand. Tomorrowland wherever on pace bias exists is a chance while Kawi and Soriano should both have something to say over the G1 Triple Crown at Hastings. Whosyourmaster has never run at further than 1200m lifetime and is really a handicap sprinter but surely the time for 1400m is this season and WFA not a worry now with the depth at this level getting weaker in New Zealand. Ryan Mark as he gets to 1400m next will come into his own as unbeaten at that trip and second up plus he may well be a miler later this spring. No questions really answered today and in fact more left open thanks to a track that penalized every single runner that settled sixth or further back for the whole day from ever being a winning hope. Perception is everything in thoroughbred horse racing as turnover relies on it giving most and not just a few of having a fair chance.