KEY POINTS:
The colourful career of well-respected Matamata jockey Noel
Harris reached another milestone at Riccarton yesterday _ this time finishing second behind his son Troy _ in the $1 million 2000 Guineas.
Harris has been an outstanding ambassador and competitor for New Zealand racing on and off the track.
No one could have planned a
better result in the Group One feature when Harris and Il Quello Veloce appeared to put a winning break on their rivals with 100m remaining.
Enter son Troy Harris who produced a patient and well-timed finishing burst aboard Tell A Tale _ a riding style usually associated with the senior statesman of New Zealand racing _ to gun down the favourite.
Tell A Tale was dismissed as an also-ran on the hometurn where the pattern of racing suited on-the-pace runners. But someone forgot to tell Troy Harris and the leggy gelding who must have recorded breath taking closing sectional times to grab victory.
The victory proved to be another pleasing result for magical Matamata-based trainer Mark Walker who produced Tell A Tale and the third-placed runner Minstrel Court.
Walker has been in the limelight this season producing champion weight-for-age mare Princess Coup to score back-to-back wins in the Kelt Capital Stakes.
It was Walker's third win in the Two Thousand Guineas in the past six years, with the others being his top flight horses King's Chapel in 2003 and Darci Brahma in 2005.
Punters should forget the runs of Fully Fledged and Kildonan who gat too far off the leaders during the early stages of the race. Fully Fledged
received an early check at the rear of the field and failed to make ground in the home straight.
The lightly-raced Kildonan could only benefit from the racing experience of a trip to Christchurch _ the first time this gelding has raced outside the Auckland-Waikato areas.
FIRM TRACK form was thrown out the window following the running of the $250,000 Christchurch Casino New Zealand Cup when 46-1 shot Hoorang upset the highly regarded Young
Centaur in the Group Two feature.
Hoorang would have carried a stack of support if the heavens had opened up and turned the rock-hard track into a swimming contest but that usually doesn't happen during Cup week in Christchurch.
Kelly Myers rode an extremely patient race on the 6-year-old timing her challenging burst to perfection in the home stretch gunning down a gallant Young Centaur. The 2kg pull in the weights proved the difference in a punishing finish.
Hoorang carried solid support into the 3200m event but there were serious question marks over the mares ability to handle a rock hard racing surface _ much to the determent of punters _ who backed Young Centaur and an unlucky Stand Tall.
"Yes her form is all on wet tracks but the trainer had her primed and ready for this and she was spot on. This is probably the biggest win of my career and it's satisfying when you win a big 3200m race," said Myers.
There was plenty of merit in the performance of Stand Tall who suffered a slipped saddle for the closing 1600m of the race and ran on in determined fashion down the outer of the track.
TERRY KENNEDY was back in the winner's circle at Riccarton yesterday but this time in the unfamiliar role as a trainer.
Kennedy produced the impressive first starter Lesley Brook to score an upset victory in the $55,000 Ford Welcome Stakes, a listed event, for 2-year-olds.
Lesley Brook was given a dream run tracking through the pace setting Ransom Success and scoring with plenty in hand.
Kennedy is tipping a bold future for the daughter of No Excuse Needed.
"She' s a nice filly and I do think a bit of her and that's why she started here today first-up on the back of one trial run. She's going to make a lovely 3-year-old and I'll put her aside now and we may wait until next season."
SAMURAI CARRIED 59kg and gave every runner a start and clear cut defeat in the $80,000 Tauranga Stakes yesterday.
David Walker sat the 7-year-old at the rear of the field and produced a blistering sprint down the outer of the track to defeat Avaroadi and an unlucky Prince Kaapstad.