Kiwi horse Captain Tom has come agonisingly close to paying a timely tribute to his late namesake.
On Wednesday, Captain Sir Tom Moore - a British war veteran who raised millions of pounds for health service workers - passed away from complications stemming from COVID-19.
Lining up at race three at Te Rapa, the equine 'Captain Tom' seemed to deliver on its favourite tag and commemorate Sir Tom's life in unique fashion, overcoming a slow start to take an early lead that he never relinquished.
But unlike the real Sir Tom - who raised almost £33 million ($NZ62.5m) for Britain's National Health Service by doing 100 laps of his backyard - he had other horses to contend with.
A protest after the finish saw him relegated to third place for moving off the rail and impeding his competition.
The three-year-old brown gelding was making just its second start.
