The motor certainly doesn't need upgrading on Tijuana Taxi, judging by her maiden win at Oamaru yesterday.
But knocking the chassis into shape is the key to getting the best out of the 6yr-old mare.
The daughter of Now Another Look has been catching the eye at the starts and finishes of her races in the c0 grades.
She gets back at the starts, but her last 400m is something to behold.
The recipe was the same again yesterday.
She was giving leader Bet's Commando more than 20 lengths with a lap to go, but her customary sprint came to the fore again in the home straight.
Tijuana Taxi's Ashburton trainer/driver, Colin Harrison, said a pulled muscle in the mare's back had been restricting her as she began trotting at the start of her races.
"Even today, she didn't trot that good at the finish,'' he said.
"Hopefully I'll give her a bit of a letup now and she'll be right.''
Harrison added a second win on the day when Hannity set a 2000m open pacing stand track record in the last race, rolling along in front to win in 2.30.9.
While Tijuana Taxi is racing through a back complaint, Oamaru trainer Phil Williamson welcomed back The Silver Fox after a tendon issue in a back leg.
The 7yr-old had not raced since June last year, when he was taking on good horses like Father Christmas, Harriet Of Mot and Great Things Happen.
Williamson opted to keep The Silver Fox away from the trials.
"We hadn't had a run but we can prepare them at home when you've got a number of trotters,'' Williamson said.
"When they're a wee bit unsound or have an injury hanging over them, I'd rather we got to the races than the trials.
"We don't know if we'll get one run out of him or 21 so we'll keep racing him and hope he keeps sound.''
Williamson's son Nathan drove The Silver Fox and also helped Timaru man Don Borlase celebrate his first win as an outright owner when Wobbegong saw off his rivals to win a c0 2600m mobile pace.
Borlase had raced only a couple of horses previously with Ross McCutcheon, including Jericho, which won four races before being sold to Western Australia.
Nathan Williamson has now won 97 races for the season and has his first century well within reach with seven South Island meetings left in the season.
A familiar face was back in the winner's circle when Prestine provided an upset in the feature trot.
Bill Roberts, the trainer of top 1970s pacer Balgove, trained his first winner since the 2010-11 season with Prestine's victory over Blazing Under Fire.
Roberts took over the training of the Sundon mare this season from Tim Butt, the son of his partner, Jenny Butt.
"Tim said have a go with her.''
Roberts helps out at Cran Dalgety's Kentuckiana Lodge before heading home to work a small team in the afternoons.
"At my time of life, I'm having fun,'' he said.
"She's got a breathing problem, but she overcame it today. She won it well.''
