Underrated mare Lucyinrio caused a minor upset when she outgunned a small but select field of open-grade sprinters over 1200m at Ruakaka on Saturday.
The lightly raced 8-year-old, who came north to a new Cambridge base with trainer Kylie Little when she moved there from Opaki late last season, had struck first up at Ruakaka when successful over a similar distance on June 15.
Stepped up to 1400m for her subsequent start at the venue a fortnight later, the Captain Rio mare disappointed when dropping out in the run home after racing on the speed throughout.
Given a brief freshen-up by Little, Lucyinrio was back to her brilliant best for rider Lynsey Satherley as she once again sat outside a steady pace set up by the free-goer Admiral before dashing clear early in the run home. Hotly challenged by race favourite Hanger and local runner Rikki Tikki Tavi, Lucyinrio stuck to her guns as she held out the pair to win by a neat length at the line.
"It was a super ride by Lynsey as she told me how it would pan out and that's exactly how it went," Little said.