The Raymond and Maree Smith-trained Miss Ezmae has proven to be top on the course after winning the inaugural The Ladbrokes 715 at Newcastle's Ladbrokes Gardens on Saturday evening.
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While Miss Ezmae made her stellar run look quite easy, it was anything but for her and trainer, Maree Smith to get to the track in Newcastle.
As Maree was driving through the small town of Sandy Hollow in the Upper Hunter Valley, her car decided it had had enough.
"I was going well until a few little signals randomly came on in my car at Sandy Hollow," Maree said.
"I pulled over (into a service station) and asked someone to take a look at it for me and he said, yes, the motor is cooked, you can't move it.
"I did the usual thing of ringing the NRMA but that can take a while, and in Sandy Hollow there are no taxis, there's no hire car service, there is not much at all really," she said.
"After a little cry and pulling myself together, I then accosted this poor young fellow called Jesse Hines from the Central Coast and asked him where he was going.
"He said he was going home to the Central Coast so I said: 'Can you take my dog and I to the Gardens because we are in the biggest race of our lives?' He said, yes he would."
Miss Ezmae showed no signs of the drama having any detrimental impact on her with a brilliant performance, leading the entire race, well clear of her competitors, with the nearest being Sound of Silence who finished a length and a half behind.
"He was an absolute gentleman and I am forever thankful to Jesse," Maree said.
After the race, Maree said this win was the pinnacle of their career and they had put everything in it, which they should and this is their reward.
"We're so lucky to have owners that give us these dogs and have the faith in us," she said.
With this stellar win capping off her career, Miss Ezmae has retired from racing.
Looking forward, Maree said they are trialling some dogs which are as of yet unnamed, along with some dogs from Feral Franky which have begun their racing careers - two of which had the quinella at Temora last week.
