Veteran galloper Our Echo showed all his fighting qualities when he clung on gamely to hold out a determined challenge from Perfect Scenario to capture the feature event at Wingatui, the Gr.3 White Robe Lodge Weight For Age (1600m).
Allowed to start at the luxurious price of $31 in the Fixed Odds market for the race, the Danny Frye-prepared eight-year-old had his chances discarded by punters, despite winning two of his previous three starts, due to his finishing last of seven runners on an unsuitable Heavy track at Ashburton six days earlier.
That performance proved an aberration as the son of Echoes Of Heaven is at his best when allowed to freewheel in the open spaces during a race and rider Tina Comignaghi achieved that to perfection as she sat on the tail of pacemaker Ears Back throughout.
Comignaghi asked the old boy for his effort shortly after straightening and he quickly mastered Ears Back and shot clear however Perfect Scenario, who was shooting for his third consecutive victory in the race, was stalking him at that point and angled into the clear to issue a stern challenge.
Getting closer with every stride Perfect Scenario put in a giant lunge at the winning post however he came up a nose short as Our Echo lasted to register his ninth and most important career victory.
