The stars aligned for Mark Ostini at Quirindi on Saturday when five-year-old mare Crimson Ticket won the $12,000 Willow Tree Cup (1000m).
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The Armidale trainer only received the horse - a $22 chance - this month after her undistinguished provincial career was nixed.
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In her first run for him, in her bush debut, she displayed eye-catching speed down the straight to beat the Colt Prosser-trained Mosh Vain (Belinda Hodder) by just over half a length.
The Graham Watts-trained Tully Ho (Georgina McDonnell) was a close third in the benchmark 58 handicap.
Luke Cumberland's winning ride on Crimson Ticket capped off a red letter day for him: three wins and two third placings on the six-race TAB meeting.
Ostini said: "He [Cumberland] was on fire for the day, so I just said, 'You're having a good day - just keep it going.'
"He said he found out what her last run was like, off the jockey that was on her the week before, so he done his research."
Ostini said he knew Crimson Ticket "had gears", so he told Cumberland to "give it to her when you get a chance".
"When they straightened, she was probably five lengths off them [the leaders]," he said.
"And then a gap appeared and she just went whooshka, straight through the gap, and goodnight Irene: that was it."
As for Crimson Ticket's $21.90 starting price (TAB tote), Ostini said: "I thought the horse was a good thing, really."
He is "more than happy" with the mare.
"She's got a few more wins in her, that's for sure," he said.
"They'll [the owners] have a lot more fun with her, and everyone will be happy ... It's good to get a nice one."
It was Crimson Ticket's second win in her 19th start.
She has $49,000 in career prize money.
In Crimson Ticket's previous start, she finished seventh at Hawkesbury over 1000m on June 7.
Jim and Greg Lee trained her at the time.
