LIMITATION'S win in the Dubbo City Cup (2525m) on Wednesday night left many at Dubbo Paceway stunned but trainer Ashlee Grives always had faith in her mare's ability.
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The experienced seven-year-old paid $33 and few at the track had it figuring in their reckoning but after sitting comfortably towards the front all journey, Grives made her move at the top of the straight and cruised to a 2.6m win.
Pre-race favourite and local hope Karloo Ten Seventy ($1.40) led the whole way over the longer distance but it was Grives who took out the $10,200 feature event.
"She had perfect draw, perfect trip and just got out in the right time and had to sprint the straight," Grives said.
"She's a pretty nice mare, I think she's won four for us now and hardly misses a cheque.
"She looks a picture and couldn't be better within herself and is just one of those mares that seems to suit our style of training and she's really blossomed."
The stats back up Grives' assessment, with the Live Or Die X Quotation mare a vastly different horse to the one previously trained by Glenn Lobb.
Wednesday night's win was Limitation's fifth from 78 starts but incredibly four of those wins have come in the 10 starts she's had since moving to the Grives stable.
The Dubbo City Cup win was one of her more impressive as Grives had concerns about the higher grade and increased distance.
"I thought they'd run on a bit more than that and that concerned me but when they didn't go that hard and she got to sit behind the right horses it was just a matter of getting out and I knew she'd sprint home and run a good race," the winning trainer-driver said.
Starting from the one spot in the front row, Limitation settled in third early on behind the Barry Lew-trained Karloo Ten Seventy, driven by Mat Rue, and Left Neglected ($10.10).
The order barely changed as the field ran through a slower second quarter before Rue eventually began to pick up the pace as the field got the bell.
Karloo Ten Seventy was in complete control but Limitation, who had been sitting inside the who way, moved out and eased on front to win in a mile rate of 2:02.5.
With another feature race now under the belt of the Bathurst-based trainer-driver, Grives and Limitation's attention now turn to the city.
"She's a C5 now so I'd probably like to see how she goes at Menangle, she's pretty tough and has a bit of high speed so it will be interesting to see if she can handle that track," she said.
"And then maybe a metropolitan mares race would be good for her too if all goes well."
The win was also a notable won as it scored another $200 for charity.
Harness Racing NSW and corporate partner TAB will donate $200 to the Women's Cancer Foundation Ovarian Cancer Institute each time a lady driver wins a race in NSW until March 12.