The Cunning Fox extended his unbeaten jumps record with a tenacious performance in Wednesday’s Galleywood Hurdle, the feature hurdle contest of the Warrnambool Carnival’s second day.

Trained by Patrick Payne in partnership with his sister Michelle, the victory gave the team a complete sweep of the key jumps features at the iconic carnival, having already claimed previous editions of the Brierly and Grand Annual.

Ridden by Tom Ryan, The Cunning Fox ($3) dug deep to fend off $2.35 betting sites favourite Affluential by 1-¼ lengths, with Right Now ($20) holding on for third another half-length back.

Once a promising flat performer—finishing runner-up in the VRC St Leger (2800m)—The Cunning Fox found renewed purpose over jumps, notching wins at Pakenham, Sandown, and Ballarat prior to his latest triumph.

Wednesday’s win marked Ryan’s first in the Galleywood and he was full of praise for the gelding’s jumping talent and determination.

“That was a dog fight,” Ryan told racing.com. “There were no hiding places there and he answered every call.”

“He’s such a cat, jumping wise. He’s so slick and clever. He approached the last wrong, but he was so quick and clever at it and got away from it.”

“There’s that terrier in him, the dog in him, and he fought all the way to the line.”

Ryan added that the feeling the gelding gave him at Pakenham earlier this month was confirmed with Wednesday’s effort.

“The feeling he gave me at Pakenham, it was something I hadn’t felt for a long time,” he said. “He showed today why I got that feeling.”

The day was even sweeter for Ryan, who also piloted Jekyll’n’Hyde to victory in the Dunroe Steeplechase to complete a jumps double.