And, the plunge came off after Barrington trainer-driver Andrew Thornton made the most of some good luck in running to get the five-year-old home by 2-1/2m over Mystery Writer and Krafty Boy.

Thornton bought Shes Gifted after seeing her advertised on the Internet and said she "wasn't overly expensive."

"I had been watching the site and the price had come down from what they originally wanted for her," the owner-trainer said.

"She'd had a lot of starts but many of them had been close together and I thought she might do better if they were spaced out a bit.

"I could see she was a nice-going horse."

Thornton said Shes Gifted had a slight discharge from her eyes when she arrived in Tasmania which he suspected could have been a nasal infection or an allergy.

"Apart from that, she was in very good order and I've been really happy with her trackwork," the trainer said.

"Her work has been comparable with the better horses I've had in the past."

Shes Gifted couldn't get a clear run at her first start for Thornton two months ago but the breaks went her way on Sunday night.

She settled fifth on the pegs from her second row draw but Thornton was able to sneak up behind the leader at the bell when Weerrook Harry drifted up at the track.

He got another slice of luck about the 450m when Mystery Writer, who had been racing in the death, also shifted up the track slightly allowing him to ease out of a pocket.

"I was a bit confused as to why they wanted to get up the track at the bell but the leader was racing very keenly," the driver said.

"Then, coming off the back, the horse on my outside didn't have the turn of foot to hold me in."

Shes Gifted quickly rounded up the leader Whitehaven Lass and established a winning break.

Thornton declined to take credit for the betting plunge.

"Maybe some punters were up in an aeroplane watching her work," he quipped.

PUNTERS who like an omen bet would have been on Gareth Rattray's drive Elect To Go in the Faithful Park Stud Pace.

And, he didn't let them down, bringing the Brooke Hammond-trained mare from a 20m handicap to record her eighth career win.

Rattray and partner Melissa Maine operate Faithful Park Stud at Latrobe which they set up two years ago to complement their training business.

STAR three-year-old Sunny Sanz returned from a let-up to lead all the way in the Longford Equine Clinic Pace.

But, top free-for-aller Harjeet again had his colours lowered by Illegal Immigrant in the Lees Orchard Stakes.

Harjeet was blocked for a run behind the leader until late in the race but it was hard to take anything away from the winner who again produced a powerful finish.