ALL the focus was on Jack Trainor's duo of Surf Ace and Werent Watching in Wednesday night's Star Trek Heats (1,730 metres) and the pair thrived in the spotlight as they saluted as favourites in their respective races.
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But a host of home-trained runners did their best to make life tough in the $10,000 events.
Surf Ace ($2.40 favourite, Jack Trainor) looked like he was going to get his biggest challenge from Classical Music ($5.50, Amanda Turnbull) in the run for home during the opening heat, as the challenger ducked for the sprint lane inside the final 200m.
However, the real threated was coming from further back in the field from Steve Turnbull's Misterhindmarsh ($5.50, Phoebe Betts), who raced three wide from the rear of the pack across the entire turn for home and still had plenty of power in the legs when asked to challenge for the leader.
Trainor's four-year-old showed his class to rise to the occasion and hold on by a half neck for a 1:55.8 winning mile rate.
In the case of Werent Watching ($1.85 favourite, Jack Brown) the challenge came from the majority of the field.
A wall of horses, led by Most Happy Cullen ($9, Lucas Rando) and Urus ($10, Casey Owen), lined up for a shot at the leader but Trainor's leader held on by 2.8m in a mile rate of 1:57.1.
A margin of just 6.3m separated the first eight horses home.
It was a hat trick of victories in succession at Bathurst for Trainor after Captn Me ($1.50 favourite) hammered the field in the Lion Nathan Pace (1,730 metres) prior to the Star Trek heats.
The three-year-old filly got away well from gate two to take up the running and Trainor would hardly have to move on her when entering the turn for home.
Captn Me opened up a final winning margin of 14.5m to win in a 1:56.0 mile rate.
Since running fourth in her NSW Breeders Challenge 2YO Fillies Heat in November Captn Me has returned with big back-to-back wins at Newcastle and Bathurst.
Chris Frisby was the other trainer to claim multiple victories at the Bathurst meeting as My Sweet Sabrina and Uncle Lukey taking race honours.
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Alexander Grant
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
Part of the Western Advocate's sports desk in Bathurst.
