WHILE the Bathurst Harness Racing Club's annual Gold Crown Carnival draws many of Australia's finest juvenile horses each year, in 2015 an extra race meeting was added to the program to accommodate for those with more experience on their side.
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That meeting, the fifth of seven for the carnival, was held on Tuesday night and the first person to benefit was Eglinton trainer Nathan Hurst.
Since moving to the new Bathurst Paceway has seen an increase in the number of horses with metropolitan experience in action, things have been tough for Hurst's team.
But in the Bathurst RSL - Gold Rewards Pace (1,730 metres), it was a Hurst quinella as Anglea Hedges guided Flight Express to victory over stablemate Usher with Hurst in the gig.
It was Usher, in an advised change of tactics, who was driven forward once the green light was given while Flight Express ducked into the trail.
Hurst made sure the field ran along at a handy pace as he controlled things in front and while leading into the home straight, Hedges used the sprint lane to get the job done with Flight Express.
"He's been going good, I just needed to get across," Hedges said.
"He loves it when they are running along, it suits him down to the ground."
Though Flite Express was the only last start winner in the field, he started as a $42.60 chance.
It was Lester Hewitt's Pitlochry, who was chasing his first victory since January 2, 2013, that was backed into $2.90 favouritism.
As the field got underway both Usher (barrier five) and Flight Express (barrier three) showed the best gate speed, but the former was able to cross for the lead.
Fantasy Level quickly rolled up to face the breeze outside Usher after going from barrier 10, while Alphitonia found the one-one for Bernie Hewitt.
There they stayed as Usher peeled off splits of 30.9 and 29.7 seconds to enjoy a lead of two lengths as they neared the 600 metre mark.
Fantasy Level nudged closer as the bend approached, while John O'Shea charged four and five wide with the favourite after sitting midfield as the chasing pack bunched up.
But Hedges, who has not often used the sprint lane, waited to make her move.
Once the lane opened Flight Express kicked and the Flightpath x Seafield Express gelding was too strong for his rivals.
The underdog won by 21/4m over stablemate Usher ($12.90), the Hurst quinella paying $114.40.
Fantasy Level ($48.20) held on for third while Pitlochry had to settle for sixth.
