KEY POINTS:
Veteran jockey Noel Harris was the toast of the turf at Hastings yesterday following his brilliant ride kicking home Princess Coup to score a narrow but impressive victory in the $2 million Kelt Capital Stakes.
While front-running warrior Sir Slick and hot favourite Seachange set a hot pace during the early stages of the Group One weight-for-age feature, Princess Coup and Harris were tucked away in the middle of the field, waiting patiently to pounce.
Harris is renowned as a jockey with considerable patience and judgement and he needed all those skills in the home stretch when unleashing the Australian-bred mare down the outer of the track.
While J'Adane, Magic Cape and Seachange were waging a stride-for-stride battle over the closing 100m nobody noticed the blistering sprint out wide from Princess Coup.
The Mark Walker-trained mare reeled in the leaders scoring by a half-head over J'Adane with Magic Cape a nose away third. A further nose away fourth was the gallant Seachange.
The winner was presented in impeccable physical condition by Walker, New Zealand's leading thoroughbred trainer, and a horseman with further Group One glory in mind for his current stablestar.
"It's always satisfying when a plan comes off and you knock over such a big race like the Kelt," said Walker.
"We've planned this campaign for quite some time for Princess Coup and she was ready for the tough 2000m slog and it was a brilliant ride from Noel Harris.
"She'll now travel to Melbourne for a shot at the Caulfield Cup, MacKinnon Stakes and Melbourne Cup."
Walker was not going to overdo the celebrating in Hastings last night as he had television commitments on New Zealand Racing Retro.
While Harris was the jockey of the moment following this brilliant victory, Walker was uncertain who would ride the 4-year-old in Melbourne.
"I'll leave the decision making about what rider will be on board to the owners as that's their business."
The owners of second-placed J'Adane must be wondering what they have to do to win a race.
The well-bred daughter of Danehill has a knack of recording minor placings in feature races. J'Adane has had 17 career starts - for one win and eight minor placings - increasing her considerable broodmare value with each group placing.
Not a bad effort from a one-win mare in New Zealand's premier weight-for-age classic.
Seachange was far from disgraced when fourth, one half-head and two noses away from completing the triple crown of victories in weight-for-age spring classics.
Gavin Mckeon is no one-horse wonder jockey as punters discovered in the $100,000 (Group Two) Hawke's Bay Guineas.
Australian McKeon has made a name for himself in New Zealand as the regular rider of Seachange.
He tasted further group success aboard consistent colt Alamosa who fought a torrid home stretch battle with the pace-setting El Cuento to win the 1400m, 3-year-old feature by a short neck.
A further three-quarters of a length away third was Fritzy Boy.
Alamosa sprinted hard from a wide barrier draw to trail El Cuento before challenging on the hometurn.
While all honours were with the winner, there was much to admire in the performance of El Cuento, who used plenty of petrol early to cross the field to lead and was given no peace.
Alamosa's trainer Peter McKay is now considering a trip to Wellington for the Captain Cooks Stakes (Group One) or Wellington Guineas (Group Two). The colt has five wins and three minor placings from 10 starts.
