To be fair to the Canterbury Jockey Club on their biggest day of the year, it had to make the footing as forgiving as possible for all runners after two big days of racing, the previous Saturday and Wednesday.
The way the surface was cutting up - despite a good 3 official rating - it was clear irrigation had been applied.
In the grandstand, trainer Stephen McKee thought something had gone wrong when O'Marilyn struggled to get to the leaders on the home bend and started to paddle at the 375m, her well-known brilliance completely missing.
O'Marilyn finished seventh, 6.3 lengths behind winner Platinum Witness.
"Sam Spratt came back and said the filly had proved hopeless in the footing," said McKee.
"I said, 'It's not that bad is it?' and she said O'Marilyn couldn't hit out at all like she has in her previous races. She said she simply never stretched out."
Co-trainer Andrew Forsman said Bonniegirl was very sore in her hindquarters yesterday.
"Mark said he was following O'Marilyn and saw her go through a rough patch on the home bend, which he thought he'd missed and he said O'Marilyn looked unbalanced.
"Mark thought Bonniegirl had broken down so he eased her up."
Unlike Bonniegirl, O'Marilyn has come through her race in good shape, the pain in her case being in the wallets of the thousands who backed the classy filly.
The disappointment for the connections of the fillies affected on Saturday is that a win could increase the horse's residual value by $200,000 to $600,000.
McKee said another problem his camp has is not knowing whether O'Marilyn can successfully negotiate Saturday's 1600m.
"I don't wan't to be critical of the club because they try their best, but Saturday was a bit disappointing for a group one day.
"The upside is that we still have a filly."
Lisa Latta declares her Guineas winner a stayer, but not one to take to the Derby at Ellerslie.
"No, I won't be making any plans because you don't know how they come through these trips down south," said Latta yesterday.
"She's going into the paddock for three weeks and depending on how she does we'll set her for the Desert Gold Stakes or the Levin Classic.
"After that there's the Oaks, but I'm not saying the Oaks here - there is Sydney and the Queensland Oaks in the winter. We'll see how she does."
With so many fillies having trouble handling Riccarton, Platinum Witness had a saloon passage up the middle of the track, but she had to be good to maintain a sustained finish from the back of the field.
She kept it going right to the finish under Darryl Bradley, underlining Latta's contention that the further the filly goes the better she will get.
Darci's Dream did a great job fighting on for second after contesting the lead on the home bend. She held her place from Belle Miraaj with Matakana displaying staying talent in running on strongly into third.
Punters take a bath
*Hot favourite O'Marilyn could not accelerate in the home straight at Riccarton.
*Bonniegirl was injured in trying to cope with the footing.
*Winner Platinum Witness will enjoy a spell before preparing for autumn racing.
