LESTER Hewitt booked himself two tickets to Sydney on Wednesday night when he won both heats of the Menangle Country Series at Dubbo Paceway.
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Wednesday's eight-race meeting began with two heats of the series and Hewitt and driver John O'Shea were successful in both with She's So Foxy and then Oh So Sweet getting past the post first.
Neither race went exactly to plan with She's So Foxy having plenty of work to do early to get to the lead while there was a nervous wait after the second heat when O'Shea and Garth Hoy, trainer-driver of Heza Nuther Melody, were called to the stewards room following the heat.
The first event of the night began at a frantic pace and despite Scentello ($16.60) and Waikare Madonna ($37.80) jostling for the early lead, O'Shea was able to manoeuvre his way to the front of the field with She's So Foxy.
Once they got down the back straight for the first time, She's So Foxy ($1.50 favourite) had built a lead with the rest of the field settled in behind.
From there O'Shea controlled the race well and despite late pressure form the fast finishing Hallycould (Mat Rue, $21.40), held on for a one-and-a-half metre win.
"It (the start) was the key," trainer Lester Hewitt said after the win.
"I didn't think we probably could lead that was my thoughts, I thought we'd probably get crossed like every other time.
"We were a bit lucky with the shorter run to the turn but we didn't have any real dramas after that, the main danger was sitting on our back and then he fell away about the furlong and a half so it was real class."
Bathurst-based Hewitt admitted he doesn't hold very high hopes for his four-year-old in the final at Menangle but was delighted as she recorded her eighth win from 29 career starts.
"She's been down there before but, she's probably not quite up to the real grade down there before but she's a nice, honest little thing," he said.
There was also early drama in the second heat when Hoy and Heza Nuther Melody ($10.10) galloped at the start and fell right off the pace immediately.
The Robert Anderson trained and driven Holy Camp Girl ($9.90) led for the majority of the race with O'Shea and Oh So Sweet ($2.20 favourite) overcoming being held up early on to work their way towards the front of the field.
Holy Camp Girl had a two-metre lead going into the home straight but O'Shea found some room down the inside and surprised the majority of those in attendance as he powered to victory.
There was a nervous wait as the stewards looked over the beginning of the race but everyone was cleared and Hewitt was again named as the winner.
Holy Camp Girl held on for second while driver Nathan Turnbull came in third with Keep On Moving ($9.50).