MAUDIE Mombassa needed to show toughness to win her heat of the Red Ochre Mares Classic, but on Friday night her tactical speed and ability to sprint came to the fore as she wrote her name into the storied history of the 2120m Group 3 event.
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Trained at Ebenezer by Colin Edwards, the four-year-old daughter of star stallion Art Major (USA) led almost all the way to win the $30,000 event in front of the bright backdrop of Sideshow Alley.
Most pundits had the Red Ochre down as a match race between Maudie Mombassa and Bon Accord Gal, with the latter sent out a $2.30 favourite after being well-backed in fixed odds betting.
But despite being drawn next to each other in barriers four and five, their fortunes through the race could not have differed any more.
Maudie Mombassa ($3.50, Michael Towers) used her position inside the favourite to push forward and take up the running from Dolly Braveheart ($6.40, Mat Rue), which had showed superior gate speed to both the fancied chances.
That left Bon Accord Gal, driven by Brad Hewitt, in the death seat but when Happy To Go ($10.40, Amanda Turnbull) worked around the favourite found the one-out, one-back trail.
Normally that would be a good thing but the race turned sour for Hewitt and Bon Accord Gal shortly after when Timely Loch led up a three-wide train that pocketed the favourite.
Meanwhile up front, Maudie Mombassa had gotten away with a cheap first half of the last mile, recording splits of 31.7s and 31.1s.
That ensured the mare had plenty of petrol in the tank for the final lap, and with the final 800m covered more than four seconds quicker than the previous lap it was always going to be hard to come from behind and run her down.
Dolly Braveheart got out late and flashed but fell 1.4m short, while Miss Rodriguez ($15.00, Josh Turnbull) stuck to the pegs and wound up third.
Happy To Go was fourth for local connections Jeff and Nea Costello, while Bon Accord Gal could only finish seventh.
"I knew she was tough so when we got to the front and got it so easy I knew she'd keep fighting for me," Towers said after the race.
"I thought Bon Accord Gal might have put a bit more pressure on me early but when Amanda came around and took the death and the others came with her I thought she would find it tough.
"She's a really lovely mare to drive, I've had a lot of success with her and to win a Group 3 is a good reward.
"I hadn't been to Dubbo until the heat and I'm two-from-two here now. Hopefully I can come back and do it all again."
Edwards indicated he will send the mare for a spell now, before targeting some rich races later in the season.
In the other features on the Dubbo club's Carnival of Cups meeting Imthevillagestar ($1.40 fav, Wayne Watterson) took out the Club Dubbo Garrards Golden Gig (2120m) while Amanda Turnbull landed her only winner of the night when Pixies Parlour ($2.20 fav) swept home to take out the Peter Lew Memorial (2120m).
