Amanda Turnbull and Isobel Ross made the trip to Dubbo Paceway determined to defend their Red Ochre Mares Classic title and they did so in the best way possible.
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Ross made it back-to-back wins in the Group 3 feature on Friday night when she drove the Turnbull-trained Sweet Heaven to an impressive victory, and she was delighted to look back and see her boss and mentor not too far behind.
Turnbull was in the gig of Fasika and motored home along the outside to nab second in another special night for the Bathurst-based team.
"It was really good to turn around see Amanda had run second. It's just a good feeling," Ross said after her win in the 1720m event.
"Amanda always has good fillies and mares and it's good to take this race out.
"I've been with Amanda for about four years and we've had nice horses and Amanda does amazing work with them.
"We're a team out there and it's really good."
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Friday's win was similar to the previous year's, when Ross got straight to the front with Gotta Party Doll and controlled proceedings for the rest of the trip.
It was the same story in the 2021 edition of the race, as Sweet Heaven followed up her heat win with victory in the $30,600 final.
"I was really confident before the race. You don't want to be too confident but I really was," Ross said.
"She drew the front and she ran the quickest time in the heats last week and I knew once she got in front she would be hard to beat."
In front of a handy Dubbo crowd at the Carnival of Cups meeting on Friday, Ross and Sweet Heaven ($6.50) were able to race forward from gate three and get to the lead along the pegs.
She hit the brakes then and was able to ease through in a first quarter of 32.6 seconds while the Bernie Hewitt trained-and-driven Ballerini ($3.30 favourite), Gabbys Reason ($15), and Lloyd Sutton's hometown hope Yarraman Bella ($16) sat close behind.
Sweet Heaven maintained her lead but as the bell sounded for the final lap the pace lifted and Mitch Turnbull powered forward with Myra Dawn ($14) to briefly threaten on the outside.
But as others jostled for position Ross made her move at the top of the back straight and put a gap between Sweet Heaven and the rest of the field.
In what was a blistering second half of the race, Sweet Heaven went on to win by a strong 5.4m from the fast-finishing Fasika ($3.80) while Nathan Hurst and Gabbys Reason were third.
"I got a really cheap first quartier there, about 32, but that last half I think I went 27 or 28 (seconds) and that's pretty hard to do around this little track so hopefully she's got a big future," Ross said.
"I could have gone another lap with her. The closer they got to her the harder she wanted to go and it was really good.
"She's got a big attitude and a big motor to match so that's what we want."
As special as Friday night's win was, Ross said last year's was a victory she holds a little closer given the special affinity she has with Gotta Party Doll.
"Still Dolly. I love Dolly," she laughed when asked to pick a favourite.
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Nick Guthrie
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
I started working at the Daily Liberal in 2013 and now hold the position of senior journalist. I cover all that's happening in sport in Dubbo and the wider western area and have a passion for doing so. If you've got a story that needs telling, reach out.
