In her first start for The Lagoon’s Nathan Turnbull, Gozo Pearl ($8.40) was able to hold off a late challenge from Abercrombie Tab ($9.50, 2.6 metres behind) to claim a career-first win in the Canowindra Produce & Central West Granite Pace (1,730m).

Race favourites Its A Bitter Sweet ($2.80) was a further seven metres away in third.

The winning mile rate was 2:00.3.

The winning Tinted Cloud x Eastern Pearl four-year-old mare was previously housed in the stables of Penrith hobby trainer Brian Portelli but the move to The Lagoon has worked out successfully

“He [Portelli] rang me up and asked, because he was in Penrith and it gets hard out that way, if I could give her and go and try taking her out to the bush to win one there,” Turnbull said.

“We were hoping to go to Eugowra. It was washed out so they came out here but it’s worked out well.

“Brian still owns him so it’s nice that he still gets something out of it.”

There was a hot battle for the lead when the green light flashed, which immediately strung the field out.

Cobbity Count got to the early lead but it was Hanoverdaloot, from out widest in gate eight, who crossed over to take the lead.

Gozo Pearl, from gate seven, had to settle for the death seat over the opening half-lap but it wasn’t where Turnbull wanted to be.

Going past the winning post for the first time Turnbull urged his runner to the front, allowing Abercrombie Tab to move alongside the outside of Gozo Pearl.

The duo would duel it out come the final 200m where, after initially giving up a little bit of ground, Abercrombie Tab made a late charge for the line.

The challenge came up just short, allowing Gozo Pearl to find her breakthrough win.

“She actually showed some good gate speed but I didn’t push her too hard," Turnbull said of his mare.

“The one outside me rolled to the front so I was stuck in the death and I didn’t really want to be there so I thought I would have a crack at getting to the lead.

“We were lucky enough he headed up and then it was a matter of stealing a couple of quarters once I was up the front.”

Remarkably, the win was also just the second time Gozo Pearl had ever finished inside the top three of a race.

The last occasion? That happened to be her very first start, way back in February last year at Bankstown.

Turnbull went on to claim a second win on Wednesday night with Express Pass.