CONSISTENT placegetter Punt Road Disco emerged the victor in the Burnie Cup at the Wivenhoe Showground last night courtesy of a protest that gave his trainer Andrew Rawlings his first win in the race.
Punt Road Disco was the emergency for the race and only gained a start courtesy of the withdrawal of Soo Special that had to be scratched when his trainer Nathan Ford had his appeal against a disqualification dismissed by the Racing Appeals Board on Friday.
The Kent Rattray-trained Karalta Dazzler led but his driver Wade Rattray allowed his charge to drift wide on the home turn that led to the wheel of his sulky locking with the wheel of Chief Destroyer that looked set to claim him 100 metres from home.
When the wheels of both sulkies unlocked Karalta Dazzler darted back towards the inside marker pegs that caused interference to Punt Road Disco that was powering home inside of Karalta Dazzler.
However, Karalta Dazzler made a lunge on the line to defeat Punt Road Disco with outsider Pushkin third ahead of Chief Destroyer.
Protests were lodged by the drivers of Chief Destroyer (Paul Ashwood) and Punt Road Disco (Rohan Hillier) claiming interference in the home straight.
After a lengthy stewards’ inquiry Hillier’s protest was upheld while Ashwood’s objection was dismissed.
Rawlings said gaining the race on protest was payback for when he drove second placegetter Return Flight in a previous Burnie Cup and protested unsuccessfully against the winner despite being confident he would get the race.
Punt Road Disco is owned by Peter Walker in partnership with Dianne Hampton. It was the gelding’s first win since September last year.
The gelding was a top two-year-old and has continued to be a more than useful money-spinner with the seven-year-old winning 16 and placing 37 times for career stakes of $127,800.