HARNESS racing trainer turned political candidate Paul Belcher will be hoping the win of Romantic Moment in Hobart on Sunday night is a good omen for his chances at the next state election.
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Belcher, who is standing as an independent for the seat of Lyons, was the original trainer of Romantic Moment when the filly won her first race in Hobart in March 2011.
The then two-year-old later ran second in the $25,000 Betfair Sweepstakes final but, despite that early promise, she didn't go on as expected and failed to win during her three-year-old season.
She eventually found herself on the market and earlier this year was bought cheaply by ?Brendon Morrison and transferred to Underwood trainer Heath Szczypka.
Morrison invited some family and friends into the ownership and those that accepted were immediately rewarded when Romantic Moment won her first start for Szczypka in Hobart in March.
Since then, the now four-year-old has rarely been out of the prizemoney and she picked up her third win for her new connections in Hobart on Sunday night.
Driven by talented claiming reinsman Adrian Collins, Romantic Moment produced a big finish to take out the Special Olympics Pace for C0-C1 horses over 2090 metres.
Collins said it was a ``courageous win''.
``When I made my move in the back ?straight she was three-wide with cover on the back of Mon Soie but, when Mon Soie found the death, my mare was exposed a bit earlier than I would have liked,'' he said.
``But to her credit she found enough to keep in touch and let down like a good horse over the concluding stages.''
Szczypka is confident that Romantic Moment can win again and she will get that chance when she races at Mowbray on Sunday night.
The other owners of the mare are Paul Turner, Cheryl Scott, Keith, June, Kevin, Daniel and Steven Morrison and Warren and Leanne Viney.