Reinswoman Ashley Hart provided the Midas touch as Chevrons Reward broke her Menangle hoodoo in spectacular style for Nulkaba harness racing trainer Clayton Harmey on Saturday night.
Chevrons Reward had not won at Menangle Park since April 2018 when with Shane and Lauren Tritton, and she had run last in two attempts under Harmey.
The in-form trainer turned to Hart, who steered the five-year-old to second at Newcastle last month, and the combination delivered a last-to-first win.
Hart took Chevrons Reward around the field on the home turn and she was last on the scene to win by 1.3m in a career-best 1:51:1.
"We've been driving her back in the field around here lately and she's been getting home over the top of them," Harmey said.
"We stuck with Ash because she's driven her and she got her chance. She probably got back a bit too far last night and nothing was taking her into the race, so I was worried she wouldn't run on.
"She was a long way off them but the further she ran up the straight, the faster she went. It was good because I knew she should have been able to do it and she finally did."
Harmey also had a win at Newcastle on the night with Always A Secret, going to 53 for the season to sit second in NSW and seventh in Australia on trainers' standings.
Driver Blake Hughes also won behind Wallaroy Boy for East Maitland trainer Rob Hosking, who achieved a rare feat in the sixth. All four of Hosking's runners on the night were in the race and they filled the top four placings.
Hughes' double was soured by a 21-day suspension for causing interference aboard Major Mondo in race seven.
Meanwhile, Lake Macquarie-owned Lochinvar Art stamped himself as a Chariots of Fire contender with a group 1 win at Melton in track record time on Saturday night.
David Moran-trained and driven Lochinvar Art, owned by businessman Kevin Gordon, claimed the 4YO Bonanza (1720m) in a mile rate of 1:48:6.
By Craig Kerry