KEY POINTS:
There was a great piece of action in Pentathon's New Zealand Cup win on Saturday.
It was something we don't often see in New Zealand these days.
Halfway down the Riccarton home straight two exceptional riders, Noel Harris and Lisa Cropp, were waiting on each other.
Waiting to be the second jockey to pull the whip.
It's something both do well - to see them pull away and use the tactic in such an important race was magical.
It was clear that the first jockey to apply the whip properly would finish second.
And that's the way it happened.
Cropp and Harris are a rare breed these days - in a tight battle they always have at least half a head up their sleeve for the final few strides.
Harris, a sparing whip rider on even a lazy horse, waited the longest.
Cropp had no choice but to use hers.
Cluden Creek gave her everything he had, but he was beaten by a horse that is about as perfect a racehorse as you could imagine.
We should see more race finishes like that.
Trainer John Wheeler thinks he might be able to pull four or five lengths' improvement out of Pentathon next year. If so he might be a genuine Melbourne Cup horse.
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We have a strike-rate index in thoroughbred racing.
We should also have one for wins and placings compared to the number of horses trainers produce.
Graeme Nicholson would win that one without a contest.
Which made Sir Slick's win in Saturday's Platinum Homes Tauranga Stakes at Rotorua so deserved.
He'd run with honour on all three days of the Hastings spring treble, fighting hard at the finish of the $1 million Kelt Capital.
Even though not entirely suited by the very wet track at Rotorua, Sir Slick gritted his teeth and the sprint he turned on from the home turn when most were battling the conditions was one of the highlights.
That Nicholson has now won more than $300,000 with a horse that has not captured a feature race says plenty about horse and trainer.
Reese Jones gave the beaten favourite Kristov (5th) a big tick.
"He couldn't handle the ground, but he never stopped trying. He's too much of a low-to-the-ground galloper to handle that type of track."
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We saw some smart emerging horses through the three-day Riccarton carnival.
None impressed as much as The Foreman, who won on the first and last days.
His winning performance to win under Noel Harris on Saturday after being off-balance through continually changing ground was superb.
He gets to the finish like a horse destined for real headlines.
Benelli, beaten on Saturday, Matto Antonio and Ginella will be heard from again this preparation.
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Veloce Bella is a serious racehorse.
Her last-to-first easy Rotorua victory on Saturday is not the last time you'll see her in the spotlight this preparation.
This was a strong field and she treated them with contempt. Remarkably, she is one of the few by Volksraad that can handle wet tracks.
