The Mike Moroney-trained Loyalty Man has taken out the $90,000 Wodonga Cup but has had to survive a protest.
Loyalty Man ($3) got home by half a length over London Fog in Friday’s 1590m race with favourite Entre Nous ($2.50) another short neck away.
But London Fog’s jockey Daniel Moor fired in a protest alleging interference in the home straight as Loyalty Man drifted out.
Stewards dismissed the objection.
Jockey Patrick Moloney considered Loyalty Man an unlucky runner when fourth at Flemington at his most recent start and was happy to make amends at Wodonga to repay the faith of the horse’s connections.
“I didn’t get it right last time but I made up for it today,” Moloney told Racing.com.
Moloney said Loyalty Man had a lovely run in the race but added that the four-year-old was still learning.
“He sort of waits for them the whole way up the running,” Moloney said.
“He’s a horse who, the way he travelled, he should have won by about five or six (lengths).
“But he’s still learning his craft and he’s got a lot of upside to him. Hopefully he can keep on going on with it.”
