Despite being distracted on her run home Callmequeenbee ($1.45 favourite, Mat Rue) did enough to edge out Maximus Red ($6, Blake Micallef), who came with a head of hanging on for victory.

Maximus Red worked forward to take the lead away from Callmequeenbee during the opening half lap of the track and set an average tempo of 59.5 for the opening half.

The Steve Turnbull-trained leader was full of running over the last lap and still had lots to offer when Micallef asked him to turn up the speed.

Death seat runner Smack Dab Shannon couldn't go with him, and it gave Callmequeenbee the gap to challenge Maximus Red on the outside.

But the mare's mind was elsewhere.

Callmequeenbee refused to run straight when asked to challenge Maximus Red and continually turned her head to the clubhouse side of the track.

However, she had the pace to earn her first win of her preparation - even if half her sprint home was spent glancing in the wrong direction.

"Fifty starts later she still doesn't know how to finish a race off. She'll be the end of me one day," winning trainer and driver Mat Rue said following the race.

"She came here to get some confidence and get a win on the board.

"Her numbers don't look as good as they have in the past at Menangle but for instance last start her stablemate [Ziggy Rocks] won the race by five metres and [Callmequeenbee] ran only 0.1 seconds slower in the last half and lost by 12 metres."

Shannonstheman ($15, Glenn McElhinney) finished strongly down the sprint lane to take a close third.

Wednesday night's win was in a mile rate of 1:55.2, featuring a 56.3 final half.

Victory pushed her career earnings past the $150,000 barrier.

Prior to the race Callmequeenbee had endured six straight winless trips to Menangle, all as either favourite or one of the leading chances.

As a 90-rated mare Callmequeenbee has been running into strong company in her Sydney excursions.

Rue hopes it's only a matter of time before his Shadow Play mare is back on top in Menangle once more.

"It's tough down there because you're up against free for all mares and free for all geldings, and she needs a better barrier draw there," he said.

"She's starting out towards gate 10 every week ... and it's taking its toll on her."

Rue is planning to take the mare back to the Sydney track for another attempt in two weeks' time.