A PHOTO finish was required to determine Romero ($3.20 favourite) as the winner from Sunday’s Bathurst Panthers Junior Rugby League Pace (1,730 metres).
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Ashlee Grives’ three-year-old gelding led the field into the home straight and appeared to have his rivals beaten until Better Than Grange ($3.80) launched a late attack.
Neil Day’s mare was full of running over the final 100m and it took everything Romero had left to see off that challenge.
Grives picked up the second win on her sometimes troublesome runner, who earned his breakthrough victory on Shirley Turnbull Memorial night.
It was a short four day turnaround for Romero following a third placing on Wednesday.
He got his revenge on that race’s winner, Lady Swiss, who finished Sunday’s event in fourth.
The winning trainer-driver said the Million Dollar Cam gelding can be a handful but he’s still learning his craft.
“Sometimes his manners can let him down. He gets quite keen. He did that on Wednesday and he did so again today, but he just held on this time,” she said.
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“He’s only three and he does have a lot to learn. You have to drive him this way and try to out-tough them because he does lack that dash at the end of his races, especially when he over-races through the middle like that.
“I’m sure with time he’ll get there and I think he’ll be a pretty nice horse.”
Tulhurst Lover ($81, Angela Hedges) made up ground along the pegs to score a surprise third placing.