Rocky Creed used all his fighting qualities to upstage his rivals to win the first group one run in the Riverina.
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All eyes were on $1.10 favourite Whereyabinboppin, but after getting into an immense speed battle early it was Lavington-trained pacer who spoiled the party winning at $41.
Coming from near the tail of the field, Rocky Creed surged past We Salute You ($31) in the concluding stages to take out the Regional Championships final by 1.4 metres on Friday.
Trainer Chris McPherson was thrilled with his performance but was pinching himself that it actually happened.
"It's unbelievable," McPherson said. "I'm so happy for my brothers and he just went so good."
McPherson bred and owns the son of Pet Rock with his brothers Scott and Simon and his nephew James drove the four-year-old to his tough heat win but was ineligible to drive in the final.
However McPherson couldn't have asked for more from his replacement Tom Gilligan.
"Tom couldn't have driven him any better," McPherson said.
"He went good."
Gilligan couldn't believe his luck.
"That's bloody unreal." Gilligan said.
Western Sonador ($6) flashed home late to finish third while the pre-race favourite finished fifth, beaten 26.1 metres.
A fast start was always anticipated but few could have imagined just how fast they went early as Brooklyns Best ($14) surged forward from her second row draw to keep her biggest rival working without cover.
She couldn't sustain the sectionals after a 28.5 second quarter, tailing off to finish last 123.6 metres away.
It left Whereyabinboppin a sitting duck as his rivals swooped up the home straight.
McPherson gave all the credit to his teenage nephew for getting the horse to salute in the biggest stage of his life.
While disappointed he couldn't have driven him himself, winning certainly took some of the pain away.
"It's unreal," James McPherson said.
"It would have been better if I were out there but I'm happy for Tom."
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