Swoop Dog completed the Longford Cup-Devonport Cup double in a deceptive finish that had jockeys and connections guessing until the number was semaphored.
Trained at Longford by John Blacker, Swoop Dog surged to the lead in the straight for Sigrid Carr in front of a vocal crowd but had to fight off the challenge of Alpine Wolf, whose jockey Daniel Ganderton celebrated after the line, believing he had won.
But the judge gave the decision to Swoop Dog with Dramazing back in third.
Blacker said he was unsure of the winner when the horses hit the line but was relieved to see Swoop Dog atone for last year’s narrow defeat.
“That was the margin we got beat last year so turn it around is great, it was a very strong field this year I thought,” he said.
“This cup has been good to our family over a lot of years.
“He has been a good horse to the stable and he’ll keep improving.”
Blacker said this year’s cup, along with the Longford feature, had been the targets since last year’s Devonport defeat and the Hobart Cup was now in sight.
“We tried him as a stayer last year and I don’t think he acquitted himself as well. But he is older now and a bit more relaxed.
“Naturally you’d like to try to run in the Hobart Cup so our next path will be the Summer Cup if he pulls up good.”
The moments after the race proved a rollercoaster of emotions for Carr until she learned of the result.
“I actually was quite confident on the line that I’d got my nose down at the right time but Daniel obviously thought he’d got it. I was going to cop that but I was gutted, I didn’t really want to come back.
“Most of the other jocks said I’d won so when I got back and heard the cheer I was rapt with that and lapped it up.
“Certainly highs and lows – I was gutted one minute and crying in happiness the next.”
Carr said the race panned out perfectly for Swoop Dog.
“The horse raced exactly like he did at Longford. He just rolls up under the bridle and gives what I ask.
“If he’d been beaten he’d been tough so I’m rapt that the horse got the win because he really deserved it.”