EVEN after three quick quarters it looked like leader Comet Stride was going to race on to victory coming into the home straight of Wednesday night’s Another Country Pace (1,730 metres).
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That was until Swaggie Shannon swept home late to steal the show at Bathurst Paceway.
Swaggie Shannon ($12.40) raced up the outside of favourite Comet Stride ($2.30) to claim victory in a mile rate of 1:54.9, slashing two seconds off his previous best.
Tim McGee ($72.60) was a shock runner-up finisher thanks to his late burst.
Comet Stride had got out strongly from gate three but with quarters 27.2, 29.1 and 28.7 it looked certain to be a race for the backmarkers.
However, Comet Stride briefly gained a small break on the field coming into the final 300m.
Kylie Barnes urged Swaggie Shannon along from the tail of the field to cut that margin down, and timed the run home to perfection.
“At the start I was sort of hitting him and hitting him but I couldn’t go. When I pulled off the fence that’s when I was feeling pretty confident. They went so hard early that I knew I could come over the top of them,” Barnes said.
“I wanted them to go pretty hard at the start and that’s what they did.”
Wednesday night also saw the Alabar NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO heats take place.
Amanda Turnbull claimed a winning double from the drivers seat. Maximus Red got revenge on Gold Crown winner Castalong Shadow in the colts and geldings heat while War Dan Bad Girl was the best of the fillies.