Another international week behind us and the event has taken on an inertia of its own, typical of great events everywhere, which seems to override unfortunate absences and which is immune to the lack of a truly special performance.
In years past, the day has often been lifted by the soaring performances of an individual horse, the ooh-ah wins of a Snow Fairy or Falbrav, of a Good Ba Ba or Silent Witness or Absolute Champion, among others.
This time, that was not the case. For while there were reasons to celebrate the victories of Dunaden, Lucky Nine, Able One and California Memory, none could be described as eye-popping or especially notable, other than for winning a rich prize-money race.
The Cup was farcically run, with the participation of the regular European leaders, Ransom Note, who was slow to jump, and Durban Thunder, whose connections appeared to make the odd decision to be wide without cover rather than look for the front.
In the end, a pace more in keeping with a below average Class Four ensued, followed by a sprint from the top of the straight which played to the strengths of the local horses and California Memory in particular, since he was closest to the front. No horse in the race ran remotely close to his best but that is to be expected when the tempo ensured the second-slowest Cup in its history, despite a fast track.
It was a scenario that should not have undone Ambitious Dragon at his best - to have had Irian outsprint him down the running bears witness to the fact that we simply didn't see the real Ambitious Dragon. Perhaps John Moore's observation was borne out: the Dragon had been overcooked in delivering that memorable National Day Cup win two months out from the real grand final and he was unable to deliver anything like that form since. That is not to sell him out as done - Ambitious Dragon gets the chance to freshen up and start again, presumably in the Stewards' Cup, and is still the horse to beat in anything, if his preparation is more soundly targeted.
What looks certain, though, is the manner of the race will put an end to any thought that the international classifications will take too seriously the defeat of 128-rated Cirrus Des Aigles by the Hong Kong horses.