Zahra Up To Cup Challenge
The Age
Friday May 4, 2007
JOCKEY Mark Zahra had to survive two protests before he capped off a highly successful carnival with a narrow win on Sarrera in yesterday's Warrnambool Cup.
In a four-way photo-finish, Sarrera got the verdict by a half-neck over the fast-finishing Douro Valley, with a half-head to Sentire ($18) and Fereronoche a neck away fourth.It was Zahra's fifth win over the three days and confirmed him as the winner of the Swettenham Stud-sponsored Jockeys' Challenge, for which the prize was a stud booking with the stallion Dash For Cash, worth $11,000.But, after viewing the patrol video, Fereronoche's rider Dean Yendall and Robbie Laing, the trainer of Sentire, both protested against the winner. Yendall, whose mount was the ham in the sandwich in the run to the line, protested against Sarrera and Sentire for interference in the final 50 metres and Laing protested against the winner on similar grounds.If either protest had been upheld, the race would have gone to Douro Valley, who finished hard down the outside clear of the other three.There was no doubt Sarrera was going home better than Sentire and Fereronoche but he did duck in sharply in the final 30 metres.In dismissing the protests, the stewards said the interference to both Sentire and Fereronoche happened too close to the finish to alter the result. Zahra and William Pike (Sentire) were reprimanded for the interference to Fereronoche. On- and off-course turnover of more than $10 million over the three days was clearly a record. For the first time, the Grand Annual held more than the Warrnambool Cup on course. The total attendance over the three days was 29,500, with 16,500 attending yesterday despite the adverse weather.In the seven jumps races, only three horses failed to complete the course and none was injured. -- TONY BOURKE
© 2007 The Age
