Gaze Beyond, backed at $14 odds, was coming off a fourth place finish at Towac Park on January 8, the mare impressing her trainer at the Orange-based track.

So impressed was McCabe that he was expecting good things from his mare on Sunday.

“Her run at Orange was full of merit. Because of that, come Sunday, we were expecting her to get the win,” he said.

“It was a good win, well ridden by the jockey Andrew Banks. She got a good barrier (three) and everything kind of fell into place for her.” 

Gaze Beyond never fell outside the top three runners during the race, settling for third spot as the horses marched down the back straight. 

Scarpa ($4) and Publish ($21) had the better of Gaze Beyond, sitting in first and second respectively, with Gaze Beyond waiting to make her assault on the lead. 

As the field straightened up and headed for home in the last straight, Gaze Beyond made her charge to the front.

She pulled ahead of her early rivals – Scarpa and Publish – and stormed home to finished ahead of other placings race favourite Cloudless Sky ($3.20) and Christo ($4.40) in second and third respectively. 

After finally seeing her break her maiden duck, McCabe is keen for her to find another win.

“It was great to get the win after the few issues we’ve had with her,” he said.

“Now we’ll go to Dubbo for a Class 1 Maiden. That race will be over 1500 metres.” 

Bathurst trainer Dean Mirfin also enjoyed a win at Cowra with Alcatran.