KEY POINTS:
Eighteen months ago, Troy Harris swore he'd never jump on to the back of another horse.
Yesterday at Ellerslie the 18-year-old scored a dramatic win on outsider Highflying in the $200,000 City Of Auckland Cup.
In mid-February 2005 Harris shattered both thighs in a horrific race fall at Wairoa.
In great pain in Hawkes Bay Hospital, he mentally ended his riding career.
"When I came around I said: 'That's it, never again.'
"That lasted about two weeks, then I saw dad [Noel Harris] ride a few winners and the desire started to come back."
He spent eight months in recovery and yesterday was the biggest win of his career.
Also for 34-year-old Stratford trainer Chris Bothwell, who trains the underrated mare in partnership with his father Dick.
Highflying had useful form, but went out at long odds yesterday.
But Chris Bothwell knew he was a real chance when the omens fell into place.
He has a DVD at home of photos of each of the wins by Partee, who had to be put down when she injured herself on the eve of last year's City Of Auckland Cup when well fancied to win.
The Auckland Racing Club has a novel attraction in playing the favourite nominated song by each jockey as they return to the birdcage following a win.
"On the Partee DVD the background music is Eye Of The Tiger and when I saw that that number was Troy Harris' song, I knew it was all going to fall into place."
Harris didn't think much of his chances early - he had planned on being handy, but Highflying jumped tardily from the starting stalls and settled well back.
"I wasn't happy being there, but I was following Leith [Innes on Upstaged] and Cookey [Grant Cooksley on Chettak] so I decided to stay where I was."
The dead rating of the track hampered a number of horses through the programme from producing their usual finishing sprint, but Highflying had no problem.
"She really sprinted when I let her down," said Harris.
Bothwell said he knew his turn was about to happen when Highflying finished second in the Manawatu and Wanganui Cups.
"Then Zakharoba finished second in the Stratford Cup yesterday, so it was our turn."
The drama wasn't over with the winner. Runner-up So You changed ground in the home straight and was relegated to third after being found to have caused interference to third-placed Willy Smith.
So You's rider Michael Coleman felt the inquiry could have gone either way.
"The horses inside me moved out and I got into Willy Smith's path, but I lost more ground than any runner."
Australian mare Upstaged was given a beautiful trip by Innes and moved into the action at the 400m as if she was going to run straight past the leaders.
She couldn't maintain the run and finished 3.9 lengths away in seventh place.
"She couldn't sprint off that ground, plus she had a hard race in the Avondale Cup and might have jarred up just a fraction," said Innes.
Grant Cooksley could offer no excuse for Counties and Manawatu Cup winner Chettak, who finished a disappointing 10th.
"He's had a few tough races and might have come to the end of it for a while."
