Portobello trainer Steve Ashton knows just how tough Better To Be Bad is - which is why he gave her two runs less than 10 days before Saturday's $20,000 Southern Belle Speed Series final at Winton.
The daughter of Badlands Hanover not only collected the thick end of the stake, but enhanced her broodmare value with a 1.54.4 win over the mile, holding on to win by a nose over Seabreeze Star.
Ashton gave the 5yr-old a trial on February 25, and a run at Forbury Park on March 7 before backing her up at Gore on March 10.
The unconventional path even surprised Better To Be Bad's driver, Brent Barclay, Ashton said.
''He didn't think she would back up, but she did. She's tough.''
The mare was ''fat'' going into her fourth placing at Forbury Park. Ashton was pleased with her fourth at Gore, where she was just over a second outside the national 2200m standing start record for a mare.
''It just tightened her up really good. The last nine days have worked out pretty well.
''As soon as she got the one-one, I thought there was only one horse who could run her down [Seabreeze Star] which it just about did, but she showed some guts.
''It rates really good because of the mile time. You don't train a 1.54 horse every day.''
Ashton hopes she will get a start in the Canterbury country cups final in early April, before pushing on to the Harness Jewels in Ashburton in June.
Westwood Beach trainers Graeme Anderson and Amber Hoffman prepared Mad Hatter to thrash his rivals by 6 lengths in a non-winners 2400m race. The driver was Jonny Cox, who also trained and drove Cherokee Charlie to victory in the 0-5 win pace, a heat of the southern country cups series.
Cox had three driving wins as he also steered Westmelton Willie to win the 1-3 win trot for Waikouaiti trainer Bruce Negus.
