Kanahooka trainer Robyn Goodwin could barely believe her eyes.
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From her view point at Wentworth Park, she had been unable to see outsider Velocity Liberty surge to a clear lead in the back straight during the Group 1 Peter Mosman Classic final.
Suddenly, the smallest dog in the 520m race emerged around the final bend, Zipping Falcon and Two Times Twice in hot pursuit.
Goodwin’s two-year-old bitch had scraped into the field by clinging on to second in the semi-final, seven lengths behind My Redeemer.
But it all fell into place in the final, a slip coming out of the boxes probably resulting in her missing the bumping duel on the first turn, which allowed her to rail through to the lead.
Still the job wasn’t done, but Velocity Liberty’s habit of following the lure arm meant she shifted out just enough to hold off Zipping Falcon in the final strides and win at $20.
“I was just elated, it’s mind-blowing,” Goodwin said. “I couldn’t see from where I was and then she’s there in front on the final turn. I was in disbelief.
“I knew there’d been a bit of a scrimmage at the first turn, but I couldn’t see where she was after that and I couldn’t hear the call either.”
It had been 12 years since Goodwin had her only other Group 1 starter, Run A Glow, who ran seventh in the NSW National Derby, but would never jump again because of a hock injury.
Now her training dream had suddenly come true.
“Even the next morning I woke up wondering if I had been dreaming,” she said.
“We were hoping to get a place, so to win was just amazing.”
With early speed, Chief’s Empire and My Redeemer had crashed into favourite Beast Unleashed trying to cross at the first turn.
Then Zipping Falcon would have the last shot at her, fast eating into the big lead.
“Watching the replay, you can see she slips at the start, maybe that helped her stay out of trouble,” Goodwin said. “She always liked to follow the arm wherever the lure is hanging and that was enough for her to hold on at the end.”