Racing: Kawi pipped at Tauranga

Jimmy Mac won the $225,000 New Zealand Cup on Saturday. File photo / NZME.

Soriano finally gets some luck while Jimmy Mac snatches NZ Cup at Riccarton.

Significantly more than a million dollars went into the river on multi-bet tickets when Soriano narrowly beat Kawi in the $100,000 Tauranga Stakes on Saturday.

Actually, it wasn't Soriano that beat Kawi - it was bad luck.

If Reese Jones had been able to find a gap at any reasonable point in the home straight Kawi would have been winning.

But racing's luck wheel came around the right way for Soriano, who had been desperately unlucky not to win at Ellerslie at her previous start. The talented mare was promoted from fourth to third, but clearly would have won had a gap not closed.

Soriano is a mum-to-be. She was recently mated with Pins, but failed to click into pregnancy and was served again, the result of which will be known this week.

No surprise Lisa Allpress sits on top of the jockeys' premiership.

Her ride to win the $225,000 New Zealand Cup on Jimmy Mac was a beaut, but it paled when compared to her victory on the John Wheeler-trained Pentathlon three races earlier.

This was an example of how to ride a stayer - locked away on the fence three back along the rails, being patient enough to wait for inside runs then launching at the right time.

Pentathlon beat his better fancied stablemate Diamantine and that surprised John Wheeler. "Post-race I suppose Diamantine probably peaked with her win earlier in the meeting where this bloke has just kept improving."

Wheeler has always had long-term plans for Pentathlon, which could include next year's New Zealand Cup. "Depending on how he comes through this meeting there is a chance he could be aimed at the Wellington Cup. We'll see."

Kiwi jockey James McDonald used his initiative in a mid-race move and Who Shot Thebarman did the rest as the stayer spaced his rivals in winning the Group Two Zipping Classic.

McDonald was last on Who Shot Thebarman after beginning awkwardly but he let the gelding roll forward down the back straight to take up the running.

The seven-year-old, coming off a luckless Melbourne Cup 11th placing, kicked away at the top of the home straight to win by seven lengths over Tall Ship ($5) with Do You Remember ($41) another 2 lengths away third at Sandown on Saturday.

"He was simply awesome," McDonald said.

Favourite Rising Romance didn't let down in the straight and finished last, with trainer David Hayes saying a Hong Kong trip is highly unlikely.

"She needs to be in form to be going to Hong Kong and on that performance you couldn't take her," Hayes said.

Weekend wrap

• No surprise Lisa Allpress sits on top of the jockeys' premiership.
• Pentathlon beats his better fancied stablemate Diamantine.
• James McDonald on Who Shot thebarman wins Zipping Classic.

- Additional reporting AAP