Sporting new colours helped Bruce Harpley turn his luck around.
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Harpley hadn't driven a winner in over four weeks, but secured a hard-fought victory with She Owns The Day at Riverina Paceway on Tuesday night.
It was finally the day for the three-year-old, who broke through for her first win in 12 starts.
She has only been with the Junee trainer-driver for her last two starts but it has taken some time to get everything together after taking over the training responsibilities from breeder and owner Katie Jenner.
With the Young family going through a tough time, Harpley was pleased to breakthrough for them.
"They've had bad luck with Road To Recovery, he had to have a hook operation, and Ned Pepper cracked a cannon bone I think, so it has been disastrous in the last few weeks," Harpley said.
"Plus with all the other troubles she's been having so it was good that one could do the right thing."
She Owns The Day ($11) swooped on her rivals late, but had a tough tussle to get past Loorrim Lake ($8.50) to win by the barest of margins.
Only a short half head separated the pair after a bumping duel up the straight.
It was the first time Harpley wore colours in support of a new initiative Mates4Harness.
"I was to the stage where I needed different colours so people could not see where I was running all the time," he joked.
"I actually thought it got beat and you expect it to when you are getting beat but she's got a bit of potential that one.
"She just has a few problems to sort out but she did the right thing and got the bonuses for Katie and the family."
Mates4Harness has been introduced as a peer support initiative empowering mates to look out for mates in the industry.
Seryn Adams in the region's ambassador.
Harpley and Miranda McLaughlin both drove in specially designed colours on Tuesday.
Meanwhile fast times were a feature across the eight-race card.
Last Walk clocked a mile rate of 1:54.9 when winning in his first win for the Ellen Bartley and Blake Jones combination and Sun Safe went 1:55.9 for David Druitt.
However Nobbys Clock was the star of the show with a mile rate of 1:53.6 as he claimed a narrow win over Harry Turbo.
With Harry Turbo setting a strong pace up front, reinsman Peter McRae thought it suited the four-year-old perfectly.
"He can come off high speed and he has got the high speed to come off," McRae said.
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