BY LACHLAN HARPER - Daily Liberal - 28 February 2023

Three wins, three places in seven runs. It's been a sensational prep for Clint Lundholm's So Extra and the four-year-old mare's form continued at Towac Park, handling a step up in class for a terrific run in the transferred Cowra Jockey Club meet.

Starting strong out of the gates, the mare hardly let up to maintain a lead for the majority of the race.

With 300m to go it looked as if a challenge from Jukebox Flyer might bring it undone but the Dubbo-based four-year-old held on thanks to a great ride from Jake Pracey-Holmes, bringing plenty of visible joy for connections.

Lundholm said he always knew his horse could hold on at the straight.

"There was only one plan with Jake, go forward and hope she's good enough," he said.

"She's a speedy little mare and that's where she wins her races out of the gates. She can sort of sneak a little break around the home turn then give her a little kick and she's tough and can hold on she Jake rode a 10/10."

The Dubbo-based trainer added her form going into the race meant there wasn't any doubt in her ability to win.

"I was confident she'd run well because she's just so consistent," he said.

"It was the hardest race she'd been in stepping up from Sky 2 and up into a full TAB Benchmark 58 but in saying that she's been consistent.

"I thought she was a great winning chance and had enough to get around them and she was and it was a great win by Jake."

It's been a sensational turnaround for So Extra who didn't win a single race in its first prep.

A 13-week spell followed for the mare and Lundholm said it's paid off.

"Last preparation she was only a young filly and wasn't really mentally there," he said.

"She was just really wound up all the time so she had a really long spell at one of the owners farms with other horses but she's really developed and grown into a nice little mare.

"This time around she's been very consistent and a great little investment for the owners."

Among the owners of So Extra, including Lundholm himself, the mare had five connections watching on with plenty of cheers when it went across the line.

The trainer said another win for his connections was well deserved.

"Randall and Prue and John Gilder have been with me since the start, they're good clients, Murray and others have come in the past few years and are are new to game and have been very lucky ... this mare has given them three wins this preparation so it's pretty good," he said.

‍