Lady Budapest looked like just another steed at the Kennard Memorial Turf Club on Sunday
Until the final furlong that is.
That is when the thoroughbred, with jockey Kevin Blake in the stirrups pinned back her ears and kicked clear to win the feature D and Lower one-mile event of the Post-Phagwah meet, beating crowd favourite, Golden Blue Echo and the rest of the cavalry in the process.
The Dark Brown mare stormed out of the third post and bided her time while Honey Flow and Just Call Me Boss set a blistering pace in the cool conditions.
The move under the blue sky came in a flash.
Honey Flow had the lead, Golden Blue Echo and Spit Fire were lurking as Blake was waiting for the right moment to go.
The race was going according to his plan.
Around the second turn, Blake angled the champion racehorse to the outside of the pacesetters and the horses were neck-and-neck with four furlongs to go.
And then the theatrics started to unfold. Crowd puller, Spit Fire briefly threatened, sending the turfites into a frenzy.
But Goodwill Boy along with Keep On Swinging and Lady Budapest went clear, their lead building with every powerful stride. And then it happened.
With one breathtaking surge over the final furlong, Lady Budapest with Goodwill Boy on her hip seemingly never tired, displayed superb sprinting speed. The steed drew off on the home straight to claim the $900,000 first prize for her handlers from the J.Bactowar Stables by about four lengths ahead of Goodwill Boy
Honey Flow faded to third, while Keep On Swinging finished hard on the stretch to finish fourth.
