Elrington trainer Margot Lennox thought she was never going to win a Menangle Country Series final after a string of close calls.
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And after a frustrating run with Popstaromar, Lennox was unsure if she would ever see the best of the mare.
It all added up to an extremely satisfying win for Lennox on Saturday night when the six-year-old produced a big finish from back in the field to take out the $20,400 Menangle Country Series final. The third career win came at just the ninth start for Popstaromar.
"I was really, really proud of her," Lennox said on Sunday. "She's very lightly raced because she's got a habit of hurting herself.
"When we got that rain she had a muscle tear from running around the paddock, so I had to give her a couple of months off and start again, so it was a great feeling to watch her do that last night.
"She's had an uncanny knack of getting the weirdest injuries. She's hurt her eye twice, never soundness issues, just stupid little things."
It was also a breakthrough for Lennox, who bred the mare with owner Robyn Aylward.
"I've been a perpetual bridesmaid," she said of the Menangle finals for country pacers. "I've been beaten in photos, I've been beaten by horses who went positive, but I'd never won one.
"I was starting to think it was never going to happen. I'd won heaps of heats but the finals had eluded me, but we got the job done this time, which was great."
Lennox had more success on Sunday when Miss Ciriello won the Golden Guitar Consolation at Tamworth.
Bobs Farm trainer Geoff Harding was first and third in the Golden Guitar with The Choreographer and Rocknlachlan respectively. Battle Chimes (Cameron Davie) was second.
Pacing is back at Newcastle on Monday.