AMANDA Turnbull's Ellmers Image overcame a brutal draw to claim a second Renshaw Cup at Penrith Paceway on Thursday night.
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The 2019 cup champion claimed another success in the Group 3 classic thanks to a gutsy mid-race move from the back of the pack.
Ellmers Image ($4.40) claimed his sixth Group-level victory with the Penrith performance and pushed past the $300,000 career prizemoney tally in the process.
After only racing a handful of times in the 2020 season the seven-year-old gelding has found a second wind in his career, recently taking out the Smooth Satin Cup during the Bathurst Gold Crown Carnival.
There was plenty of movement across the field during the early stages of Thursday's 2,525 metre race at Penrith.
Turnbull ducked back to second last from her tough draw and decided to let the rest of the field fight it out for control of the race on the first lap.
At the head of the pack Art Tutor came around Pump The Brakes to claim the early lead.
Mach Da Vinci went three wide on the last turn to find the front of the running line, but his stay there was limited as Turnbull sent Ellmers Image to that position - with haste - as the field returned to the home straight for the first time.
The field spent the penultimate lap settled in their positions before Brad Hewitt launched the big move from the back on Our Triple Play ($12).
Turnbull wasn't in the mood to hand over her spot and decided to work into the lead ahead of a struggling Art Tutor.
Our Triple Play spent the entire last lap posted three wide, held out by Mach Da Vinci ($4.60, Blake Fitzpatrick), and race favourite Escalera ($4, Cameron Hart) had to make a tough four wide move on the run for home to mount a challenge.
The dangerous Mighty Flying Deal ($10) also loomed large on the outside before driver Jack Trainor decided to duck to the pegs.
That move almost paid off but Ellmers Image was full of running and was able to hold off a four-horse wall of challengers to claim victory in a 1:56.6 mile rate.
Mighty Flying Deal, Our Triple Play, Escalera and Mach Da Vinci filled out the rest of the top five - all finishing within 5.7m of Turnbull's gelding.
Ellmers image won in almost an identical time compared to his 2019 Renshaw Cup success, going one tenth quicker.
His other major career wins include the G3 Ilsley Memorial (2019), G2 Treuer Memorial (2019), the G2 Inter Dominion Consolation (2018) and the G3 Mount Eden 4YO Stakes (2018).
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