WHILE punters were busy watching a battle along the pegs, the real weapon was getting ready to fire.

Wake Up Quinn stormed home out wide to win the Hynash Constructions Pace (1,730 metres) at the Bathurst Paceway on Wednesday night.

Catching everyone by surprise with superb speed over the final 100m, Wake Up Quinn ($3.20) saw off early leader Ultimate Sheldon ($6.50) by 5.8m with Somart ($18.30) by a further half metre back in third.

It was the second straight win for the seven-year-old Ashlee Siejka trained and driven gelding following success at Eugowra three days earlier.

“He’s probably in career best form at the moment and we’ve got him in a $3,000 claimer every time he goes around. He’s back down in grade compared to what he has been racing in, but he looks a million dollars and he’s going better now than what he has been,” Siejka said.

“The race just panned out perfectly for him and he only had to sprint from the top of the straight.”

Ultimate Sheldon showed enough speed out of gate one to hold the lead, getting the best of a four-horse race to the front following the green light.

Somart was able to come across to the death seat and in the process, forced Four Jesters to pull onto the leader’s back.

The $2.30 favourite Artegra dropped out of that early chase to sit one out and one back.

Siejka had a tricky draw to contend with – gate seven – but a gap presented itself to let Wake Up Quinn sit behind Four Jesters on the pegs.

Those positions remained consistent until the final 600m when Haunui Tiger made the first big move from the rear of the field.

Into the turn for home, Wake Up Quinn was steered wide in an attempt to get off the pegs and soon found a trail behind Artegra.

Wake Up Quinn had given an almost 10m head start to Ultimate Sheldon, who still looked like he had plenty to give over the last 200m down the home straight.

Four Jesters and Somart loomed up either side of the leader close to the line in what looked like a race of three.

However, Wake Up Quinn trumped them all with a burst of speed to take the win.

Artegra came home in sixth place to be the only favourite not to win on Wednesday’s program.

Siejka said while the future of the Rollon Bigred out of Sleep On It gelding in her stable is uncertain, his form is giving her plenty to be happy about.

“He’s glowing in his coat and he’s really filled out. I don’t really know why. He looks really good, he feels really good and he’s racing accordingly,” she said.

“I don’t know if he got claimed or not, so I’m not sure what his future’s like at the moment. We’ll continue to race him and see what happens.”