Darren Weir’s galloper Unfurl produced a fighting display to cross the line first in Sunday’s Burrumbeet Cup, but her connections were forced to win another battle before she could be crowned the winner of the race.
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In a dramatic conclusion to the $20,000 feature, Holly McKechnie, rider of runner-up Vianden, lodged a protest, claiming she was hampered by the winner in the home straight the first time.
But after a hearing, stewards deemed the result would stand, giving Weir another win in the race.
Weir last won the Burrumbeet Cup with Heisman in 2014.
For Unfurl’s jockey Jack Hill it was his first triumph in the event and his first country cup since returning to the saddle following a shocking race fall in March of 2015 that almost took his life.
“I’m always here riding jump-outs for Darren Weir, so it’s actually good to win a Burrumbeet Cup,” Hill said.
Hill said he wasn’t worried by the protest, believing he won the race fair and square.
“Her (McKechnie) horse (Vianden) rolled away from mine and I never made contact with her. And even in the straight, her horse got a neck on me and mine fought back and beat it. It has had its chance to beat me and I’ve still beat her,” Hill said.
“The film showed that I never made any contact with her at all.”
Hill said Unfurl has been running well in recent times and thought she would have already won a race this preparation before Burrumbeet.
“She’s been knocking on the door without getting the wins, so it was good to get the win today,” he said.
Unfurl’s narrow success on Sunday brought up her third win at career start number 18.
Burrumbeet Park and Windermere Racing Club life member Melville Charles, who part-owns Unfurl with his son Scott and John Richards, said a plan was hatched months ago to target the local feature.
Charles chuckled when he recalled speaking to Richards, who won the Melbourne Cup with Prince of Penzance in 2015, about winning the “second best cup in the state” with Unfurl.
Charles, along with a number of past and present committee members of the BPWRC, also had a share in Heisman.
Josh Julius-trained Dubai King, who was favourite for Sunday’s race, led in the early stages, but faded a long way from home to finish third.
Following the race, it was revealed the nine-year-old had suffered a leg injury and is likely to be retired.
Stewards scratched Tony Romeo-trained Sharalam minutes before the race, acting on veterinarian advice.
