He was part of history in the Cowra Cup 25 years ago and Garry Lunn is hoping for another memorable moment in the feature event this weekend.
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Dubbo-based Lunn will saddle up Honeywine in what will be a special running of the cup on Sunday.
The Cowra club will be celebrating 25 years since the only triple dead heat for first ever recorded on a race track in New South Wales.
Lunn was involved in that as his horse Sleepers was one of the three horses unable to be separated.
Trained by Garry and ridden by his brother Dar, Sleepers went across the line alongside the Norm Collins-trained Sir Laucrest and Debbie Prest's Churning.
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More than 20 minutes elapsed before correct weight was declared that day as the chief stipendiary steward Shane Cullen ordered further examination of the photo to eliminate any chance of a mistake when history was about to be made. The photo finish was later taken to a theatre in Orange and on the huge screen it was further confirmed a margin could not be found between the three gallopers.
"I thought I won the race, even looking at the photo finish," Lunn said, looking back.
"Dar was on the outside and in front of them all and I thought he (Sleepers) had more nose through the line but they all hit it.
"Even racecaller Col Hodges thought I'd won it but it's gone down in history now, there's no use complaining. It was good for racing and something they can't take away from me and Dar."
There has only been four triple dead heats for first in Australia since the introduction of the photo finish in 1946, with the Cowra event the lone occasion in NSW.
Mathew Cahill rode Bula in that 1997 edition of the cup and he finished half-a-length back from the leading trio.
On Sunday, Cowra-based Cahill and Lunn will team up with Honeywine.
The eight-year-old has only had five starts for Lunn but has been a consistent performer each time out, having won first-up at Dubbo while he was a respectable sixth last start in the Gilgandra Cup.
"He hasn't put in a bad run since I've had him and I'll back him to race well on that track," Lunn said.
"And Mathew knows that track inside-out, I couldn't have asked for much better."
Jarmanagic will also be in action at Cowra and will contest the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1200m).
Prior to Cowra, Lunn will also have two chances at Wellington on Friday.
Ollivander and Careering Away will race at Wellington and Lunn considers the former his best chance of the coming days.
A veteran six-year-old gelding, Ollivander only has three wins in 43 starts has regularly been around the money for Lunn.
Ollivander will contest the Benchmark 58 Handicap (1700m) at Wellington after a second last time out at Gilgandra.
The first of seven races is at 1.43pm at Wellington on Friday.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
