SHE isn't the fastest mare, she is a bit-one paced and she doesn't always have the best manners, but what All Spruced Up now has as of Wednesday night is a win.
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The John Lew, Dubbo trained five-year-old shed her maiden status in her 12th career start as she took out the For A Reason Ladyship Pace (1,730 metres) at the Bathurst Paceway.
Driver John O'Shea guided her into the lead with a bold three-wide move mid-race and while she was challenged in the run home, was able to hang on.
"She's a nice mare, but she's not real fast. She's tough though," Lew said.
"It was a great drive."
In her 11 starts prior to Wednesday night, All Spruced Up certainly had her issues for Lew. She'd broken in the score up or just after it more than once, she'd tired in one of her runs and been forced to travel three wide a number of times.
He best results were a pair of thirds.
When the $9 chance was out of position at the start on Wednesday and conceded ground to her rivals, it looked as if it was be another race in which All Spruced Up would not feature.
But O'Shea was not content to sit at the rear. He knew to be any chance the A Rocknroll Dance x Spruce It Up mare needed to be at the front so he set off to get that lead.
"She seems to be a bit one-paced, so it was the place to be with her," he said.
It took some urging from O'Shea, but she got there as the bell sounded and held a 5m advantage over early leader Mendoza Lass with a lap to travel.
O'Shea then smartly backed off the speed and as she turned for home it wasn't just the voices of the drivers who could be hard urging their runners on. Lew was yelling as well.
Mendoza Lass came at her, but All Spruced Up held on, race caller Brandon Kreymborg saying she "fought like a caged lion."
She won by a neck over Mendoza Lass ($13) in a 1:57.9 mile rate, while $2.40 favourite Baby Bee Mine was a further 5m back in third.