Mudgee trainer Cheryl Crockett went close to taking out the Cowra Lamb Cowra Cup with Mackellar's Love last year finishing second to Welcome Art.
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On Sunday Crockett returned to the Cowra track with Mackellar's Love hoping to go one better.
Despite his indifferent form leading into Sunday's feature, in contrast to last year when he went into 2019 edition of the race with winning form lines, Mackellar's Love made a lie of his poor form and his 25-1 odds.
A mid race move by jockey Richard Bensley proved a masterstroke after he was caught wide from the 10 barrier.
Instead of sitting wide Bensley opted to push on for the lead, a move that ultimately proved the difference, with Mackellar's Love holding on for the win over Canberra trained Rinviata which enjoyed a soft run on the fence from its one gate courtesy of copybook ride by Cowra champion Matt Cahill.
Athena's Voice (A Cavallo) finished in third place.
Now six years of age Mackellars Love's win made it win number five from 25 starts.
"When he took off I was a bit worried," Crockett admitted of the ride.
"But it's only a short straight (at Cowra) so it was an excellent move," she said.
"Very excited," she said after improving on last year's second placing.
"I was hoping the winning post would keep creeping back," she joked.
Bensley said he decided to go to the lead with a muddling pace inside him.
"I steadied them up mid race and then took off again," he said of his race tactics.
"I started giggling to myself around the 250 (metre mark) and thought if they haven't got to me now they're not going to."
"It was a good tough effort, full credit to Cheryl and the team."
The other feature event on Sunday's program was taken out by another outsider, Distinctive Look ($26), trained by Mudgee based mentor David Smith.
In winning the 1200 metre feature Distinctive Look prevented Cowra champion Zarhron from recording a historic fifth win in the event by the barest of margins.
Just when it looked like Zarhron would record the historic victory Distinctive Look lunged late for the win.
"They pop up when you least expect them," Smith said after the win.
"We were on the verge of retiring him.
"We gave him the 12 months and he's been shining on the track, but he showed that last prep too without winning."
