This Listed 2400m Open Handicap was a total run on finish as some up front were wide and working early and took too much petrol out of their tanks so massive margins across the line and many staggerers eventuated. Pendleton, a three-win 4yo mare prior to today and on the minimum of 53kg bolted in and showed that Open Class means nothing of note in the South Island regarding depth these days. She was having just her ninth start today and settled down twelfth before improving four-wide across the top and sweeping up and taking the front turning for home. The winning margin was over two and a quarter lengths and the time 2:35.81, which considering the slow footing was not too bad and does explain why so many walked home. It was her fourth win and she had not raced for five weeks today plus her prior success had come in a Ratings75, so she made the Open Class leap and into blacktype with ridiculous ease. Aspen Lass the favourite sat midfield and ran on well but the winner had stolen a march early in the run home and although she kept coming second was always her maximum lot at the line. Who Dares Wins under 58kg for a six-win gelding that has risen dramatically in the weights of late ran third but was beaten over seven and a half lengths. He won an Open Handicap prior to today at 55kg and was up 3kg in this so considering in two only other runs at this grade he ran sixth, the climb is so steep and on a ladder with no or not many snakes to drop down suddenly or even slightly. Son Of Zac ran on from last on his won for fourth after coming deepest turning for home but was beaten almost nine lengths. Shocktillyoudrop prior to today had won a Ratings65 (the grade just above maidens) and was running on here in supposed Open Class and her effort shows the class gap is non-existent in the South Island. Dee And Gee was running fifth most of the way and ended up sixth beaten over ten lengths. He Ain’t Heavy made a big run deep midrace and challenged across the top before wilting from second turning for home and was beaten eleven and a half lengths. Long Harbour was a distant eighth but did blunder across the top when running ninth so not entirely disgraced. The next two home were a couple of the older horses and on pacers in The Gordonian and Motorbike Mike with the 9yo pair beaten fourteen and fifteen and a half lengths respectively. The gaps then kept getting bigger from eighteen lengths up to over thirty-seven lengths. Sureasyouwereborn bled and finished last and has been retired. The top two home in this Pendleton and Aspen Lass were superior by enormous margins and they will be the South Island main Cups players this year. The winner Pendleton being out of a Zabeel dam has it all ahead and especially so with Patrick Erin likely to go to Australia as weighted hopelessly out of racing in New Zealand despite having only mediocre earnings.