The Albury Gold Cup was decided in the stewards' room on Friday when first-past-the-post Fabriano was relegated to third on protest with the locally-trained Niblick awarded the Listed race.

Niblick, second across the line in the 2000m event, claimed the victory after stewards upheld an objection from Jeff Penza, rider of Coliseo who was third across the line, against Fabriano.

Penza also protested against Niblick but that objection was dismissed.

In a dramatic renewal of the $170,000 event, four horses went across the line in close proximity with the margins between the placegetters a nose by a nose.

Six-year-old Niblick was having his second start for Brett Cavanough and kept a perfect record for his new trainer.

It took his overall record to eight wins from 21 starts and backed up his narrow first-up win for Cavanough in the Listed National Sprint at Canberra.