True Detective salvaged some Victorian pride when he laid down the law to his rivals in Friday night’s Group 2 Summer Distance Plate (720m) at Wentworth Park.

And once again, it was True Detective’s front-running style that proved crucial in the final analysis.

Rocketing out of box five, True Detective ($5.50) led from go to whoa in defeating Blue Moon Rising ($4.80), by two and a half lengths, with Blue Summer Sky ($26) four lengths away third in 41.87sec.

Trained by Jeff Britton, True Detective notched his 17^th win from 27 starts. The $40,000 first prize catapulted his stakes to $268,445.

There’s no disputing True Detective’s prowess over the middle distance, with the G1 Hume Cup (600m) on his mantelpiece, but staying has been a whole new ball game.

But, fair to say, he did win the Group Listed Stayers (715m) at Sandown in late November last year.

But True Detective has arrived as a ‘black type’ stayer lately, with the Summer Distance Plate complementing his recent victory in the Group Listed Gold Cup (710m) at Albion Park in Brisbane.

On what could have been billed as ‘Fabulous Friday’ – with four group race finals (3 x G1 and 1 x G2) decided on the program – the Victorian contingent failed to make a major impact.

Here’s how the Vics fared:
G1 Paws Of Thunder (3^rd Caishen; 4^th Oakvale Beauty; 6^th Western Envoy; FTF Start A Riot)
G1 National Derby (4^th Hard Style Rico)
G1 National Futurity (4^th Run Baba Run; 6^th Aston Perignon; 7^th Aston Silk)
G2 Summer Distance Plate (1^st True Detective; 5^th Blazing Cartier; 6^th Weblec Eagle)

Pawnote: NSW greyhounds won the Paws Of Thunder (King Cratos), National Derby (Oh Mickey) and National Futurity (Zipping Veyron).
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