When the well-supported Cankickatarget ($5.50 Brett Hutchings) sprinted past The Wife's Calling as the field ran up the back straight for the final time, most on track thought the race was as good as over.

But in the twinkling of an eye Hutchings' gelding was starting to shorten stride and it was The Wife's Calling which was there to pounce in a race that had plenty of action over the final 600m.

After racing Peggyville ($16.30, Angela Hedges) for the lead in the early stages, The Wife's Calling was able to assume the front and dictate the terms of the race through the first lap and a half.

Peggyville sat third on the leader's back, while Cankickatarget was in the one out, one back position and the other fancied runner Kenny Trickem ($4.40, Mark Hewitt) was locked away four back on the pegs.

Sullivan was able to stroll through the first half of the last mile in a leisurely 61.9s, but when outsider Ellamojo ($50.40, Nathan Hoy) started a three-wide move with a lap remaining it flushed out Cankickatarget, who shot past his rivals as the field ran up the back straight for the final time.

The four-year-old took a 10-metre lead but just as the race seemed over he started to paddle, and Sullivan was able to be within striking distance again as the field rounded the turn.

Half-way down the straight The Wife's Calling had regained the lead and it was left to Peggyville, which followed him the entire trip, to lay down the challenge.

In the end the Bathurst-trained mare had a head to spare, with Kenny Trickem finding clear running over the final 300m to storm home for third, just ahead of the tiring Cankickatarget.

Hedges viewed the stewards film before the all-clear was given as The Wife's Calling did drift off course slightly over the concluding stages, but elected against protesting.

"It was a good win because she had to show a bit of fight," Sullivan said after the race.

"I wasn't too worried when Cankickatarget went past me because I have driven him a bit and I know he has a good sharp sprint for about 400m so when he took off down the back straight I thought there would be a chance for us to come at him late.

"In the end we got past him easily enough but then Angela's horse came at us. It was probably going to get us for a stride or two but my mare dug pretty deep in the end."

The win was the second leg of a winning double for Sullivan on the program after he earlier drove Bronze Sign ($7.50) to victory in the Daily Liberal Pace (2120m).

Mat Rue also enjoyed a good night in the sulky, driving a winning treble including a race-to-race double for Bathurst trainer Andrew Hall with Hall In ($15.90) and his half-brother Hallnightparty ($2.50 fav).