In an unusual clash of sporting codes Saturday, a racehorse owned by New Zealand cricket captain Brendon McCullum beat another owned by All Blacks rugby captain Richie McCaw into second place in a race at Te Rapa.

McCullum's Passing Shot, at 4-1, beat McCaw's previously unbeaten Snapshot, the favourite at 3-1, by two lengths in 1200m race.

McCaw races Snapshot as part of a syndicate including former Test teammate Ali Williams while McCullum owns Passing Shot in partnership with New Zealand cricketers Grant Elliott and James Franklin.

While McCaw may have been able to watch the race, after attending the New Zealand Rugby Awards in Auckland the previous evening, McCullum was in the field in the first Test against Sri Lanka when the race took place.