Horse racing: Tomelilla wins Wanganui races feature by a nose

Tomelilla just gets home against She's Poppy, front, to win the $50,000 AG Challenges Stakes at the Wanganui Races on Saturday.

They called it by a nose but it could have even been a nostril, and if one of them had stuck their tongue out they would have won.

Saturday's $50,00 Ag Challenge Stakes over 1590m was a thrilling photo finish as Cambridge favourite Tomelilla, under jockey Troy Harris, hit the line at the exact same moment as Whanganui's She's Poppy, raced by Shaun McKay for trainer/owner Raymond Connors.

There was a couple of minutes of studying footage on computer before the winner of the feature could finally be announced at the Wanganui Jockey Club's Queens Birthday Weekend races.

When the decision came, Harris had got Tomelilla back up to grab the win after She's Poppy made a superb run on the outside through a bunched field.

The winning jockey thanked trainers Murray Baker and Andrew Foreman as they "turned up the horse in awesome condition".

"She didn't really cop the track, but she was tough," Harris said.

"When she felt that horse come outside her, she was keen for a fight."

Harris was asked when was the last time he had a race win that was so close.

"Probably a Group 1 when I beat dad down south. That was ten years ago."

Harris held off his father Noel Harris by a nose at the 2008 NZ 2000 Guineas at Riccarton, riding Tell A Tale, for his first group race victory.

Harris senior, now a respected jockey mentor, was on Quello Veloce.

In a Whanganui-heavy field, Tomelilla and She's Poppy had been pacing themselves at the back for the race which starts to the far right of the grandstand.

Jockey Lisa Allpress had Petite En Jeu (Nigel Auret) lead out on the trot, with Johnathan Parkes easing Ringo into second, followed by Zinjete Moki on Overtheriver (Kevin Myers).

With Petite En Jeu holding a comfortable two length lead, Ringo and Overtheriver jostled for the line to overtake, with Ringo coming up the rail.

But by the time Ringo had caught the leader, everyone else was pouring on the pace at the final turn, including Jonathan Riddell bringing Taurus (Evan and JJ Rayner) up through the pack, as the bunch was now locked together.

The entire field of nine horses, including five from Whanganui, had a shot at winning the feature race as they headed to the finishing post on Saturday.

Tomelilla was making the move with Ohau's Our Bandit on the inside under Michael McNab, but suddenly She's Poppy swept to the outside line and was charging home.

Somehow, Tomelilla found another kick and the two horses were now lowering and raising their heads in synchronised motion, right to the line.

The punters who had taken She's Poppy at an appetising $8 had an agonising wait, but the $3 favourite had gotten up.

Taurus had gotten up over the rest of the tight bunch to claim third.

The earlier Black Type race of the $50,000 John Turkington Forestry Ltd Castletown Stakes for 2-year-olds over 1200m was won by Parkes on the back of London Express for New Plymouth trainer Allan Sharrock, who makes winning at Whanganui a regular routine.

After Awapuni's Glide Queen was the early pace setter, Zaniah broke through, followed by fellow Cambridge-trained Qiji Express.

It appeared equal favourite Qiji Express would get home, but it wobbled slightly right when Parkes was up and had London Express charging on the outside, taking the win by half a length for a $6.80 return, with jockey Rosie Myers getting Awapuni's Secret Allure up for third.