Veteran New Zealand jockey Noel Harris has scotched any rumours of retirement in the wake of his latest Group One victory in Saturday's Telegraph Handicap.Harris, 55 earlier this month, gave Tim and Margaret Carter their first Group One win as trainers, when he timed his run from back in the field to perfection to pilot Vonusti to a comprehensive victory.While Harris praised the Carters for their patience in choosing the right races for the five-year-old gelding, Tim Carter, a former Maori All B

Veteran New Zealand jockey Noel Harris has scotched any rumours of retirement in the wake of his latest Group One victory in Saturday's Telegraph Handicap.

Harris, 55 earlier this month, gave Tim and Margaret Carter their first Group One win as trainers, when he timed his run from back in the field to perfection to pilot Vonusti to a comprehensive victory.

While Harris praised the Carters for their patience in choosing the right races for the five-year-old gelding, Tim Carter, a former Maori All Black, praised Harris for his patient ride and sticking with the ship.

"Noel Harris has had a lot of faith in the horse all the way through. He's stuck with us and we've stuck with him," Carter said.

"He rode Stony Bay when I had him years ago. With this horse, we have always wanted him to keep on riding and I think it is probably the biggest thrill I have had in racing, especially to have Noel on."

Harris was delighted and said rumours he was heading for retirement were well off the mark.

"I always say another year or two," he said.

However, he admitted that he had been having a quiet season and was somewhat frustrated by trainers thinking he was scaling back.

"It's liked they're retiring you," he said.

"You have got to have the quality rides, but I think I can still compete."

He joked during the race presentation that his wife Kylie would have to "wait another year or two to pay off the beach house".

Vonusti was last when the field jumped, with Harris moving him up a little soon after.

But he was still three-quarters of the way back in the field, wide with cover, as Coup Align scorched ahead of the field with 600m to go.

Coup Align was still in front with 150m to go, but Vonusti and Harris were flying wide out and sprinted to the line, two lengths clear of Tootsie who recovered brilliantly from interference soon after the start.

One of the outsiders, Stupendous, got up for third ahead a long neck away, ahead of former Australian Kiloton and Melbourne horse Keano.

Favourite Wealth Princess, checked out of contention about the 250m, was next, ahead of Coup Align, who did well considering the soft track was unsuitable.

NSW gelding A Gold Trail, who was second early, faded to finish last, 20 lengths behind Vonusti with Michael Rodd saying he failed to handle the deteriorating track.