After a dramatic and frustrating start to things at Dubbo Paceway on Friday night, it couldn't have gone much better for trainer-driver Mat Rue in the annual show meeting's feature event.
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Bathurst-based Rue took out the Regional Australia Bank Dubbo Show Series Final (2120m) with the exciting Oh One Job in front of another strong show night crowd.
And while Oh One Job had jumped a raging hot $1.30 favourite, the first three events on the card had proven to Rue nothing can be taken for granted in racing.
Most painful of all was the third event, the Dubbo Show President's Trophy Three-Year-Old Pace (1720m), where Classical Music seemed almost certain to power to victory on the final lap only to gallop briefly in the turn for home and have that win snatched away.
There was no such issue with Oh One Job in the main event, as the filly quickly got to the lead and never looked like getting beat in yet another hugely promising showing.
Bred and owned by Dubbo-based Coffee sisters Amanda and Sharon - well known in racing circles for their photography business - Oh One Job now has three wins and one second from four career starts and caught the eye on Friday when running home in a blistering 57.9 second last half.
"I know we got a pretty cheap first 800m but I've driven a lot of horses and a lot of winners around this track and there's very few that can run home in that (time) around here and she's done it twice in a week," Rue said after the win, Oh One Job having also impressed in her heat at the Dubbo track.
"It's in her first racing preparation too. I reckon there's plenty more left in the tank and let's hope we can keep her healthy and sound along the way because I reckon we've got plenty there.
"She's come from nowhere too and every single thing had gone wrong with her. I've had her since October and we've only started racing late last month. The Coffee girls and family have been super patient with her."
A 28m win at Forbes at the start of the month and the 9m heat victory made Oh One Job all the rage heading into Friday's final.
Rue expected to have to push hard for the lead after drawing gate three but with little pressure coming from the inside he was quickly able to get to the front and set the pace.
There was little pressure until the bell lap when the Wendy Turnbull-trained Thirsty Sportsman ($6) surged around the outside from deep under the driving of Emma Turnbull.
The five-year-old gelding made Oh One Job find another gear but she had little trouble in doing that and went on to win by 7.7m from the Turnbull chance while hometown hope Nicky Brook ($34) was third for father-and-son trainer-driver team Mick and Jack Pay.
"I thought I might have had to work a little harder than I did to get to the lead tonight. I thought the two (Reason To Party) might have come out harder but we got to the top pretty effortlessly," Rue said of the run.
"I guess you cold say it was smooth sailing from then on but it's never as easy as it looks.
"Thirsty Sportsman went enormous. We ran the last half in 57.9, which is pretty rare around here and he probably made up 12m on me so it was a great run from him."
An easier time of things is expected now for Oh One Job, who's had a trial and four starts in less than a month.
As well as congratulating the Coffees, the winning trainer-driver was also keen to praise the efforts of Tom Pay, Aaron Williams ands Greg Rue for helping around the stables to get Oh One Job in top condition.
The Dubbo Show President's Trophy Three-Year-Old Pace was won by hometown John Lew and Burrabadine Dream ($3.30) while locals also had reason to cheer when Bill Lesslie and James Sutton combined to win the final event with Why Nott ($6.50).
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