A connection with the Kurow community made Girls Get Loose's win in the feature trot on Kurow Cup day special.
The lightly raced 5yr-old put away a handy intermediate grade field courtesy of a bold drive from Gerard O'Reilly.
O'Reilly made use of Girls Get Loose's good staying motor by pouring pressure on at the 400m.
That gave the backmarkers too much to do to catch the Rakaia trotter, who held out Sundons Flyer and The Dominator to win for trainer Stuart Sutherland.
"She is a great staying mare, so she was always going to keep going," O'Reilly said.
Girls Get Loose's victory turned around two poor performances after a hot run of form earlier in the winter.
Sutherland said Canterbury trainer and highly regarded chiropractor, Geoff Dunn, had treated the mare after her last start flop at Ashburton last month.
"She had just had a few niggling problems, so Geoff treated her and she has been much better."
Sutherland echoed O'Reilly's opinion that the mare's staying ability was her biggest asset.
He said was looking forward to an opportunity to race the Superfast Stuart mare over 3200m.
Girls Get Loose may get to do that at the New Zealand Cup Carnival, which would be the horse's main aim if her good form continues in to November.
The trotter's victory had extra meaning to Sutherland because of his family connection to the Kurow Trotting Club.
"I had uncles on the Kurow committee and the breed this mare comes from was from the Kurow and Duntroon area originally."
Yesterday's win was Girls Get Loose's third, in her 11th start.
