A filly who was banished to North Queensland because she "couldn't get out of her own way " in Sydney is on a black-type mission during the winter carnival.
Tambo's Jewel made it four wins from only five starts when she won Wednesday's XXXX Gold Handicap (1200m) at Eagle Farm by a nose from Mishani Warrior.
The ability Tambo's Jewel has shown trainer Stuart Kendrick in recent months wasn't apparent when she began her career in Sydney.
"She was beaten 200 metres in her first trial and they said she'll never win a race anywhere," Kendrick said.
"I trained her half-sister Lightfeet Lady who won seven of her first 11 starts for her owner Dalan Tamblyn so he sent this filly to Sydney with the hope that she'd be a metropolitan horse in Sydney.
"But she couldn't get out of her own way and they couldn't find anything slow enough to work with her so she came to us."
The signs weren't promising when Tambo's Jewel joined Kendrick's stables in Mackay before he moved his team to the Sunshine Coast in February.
"When she did slow work she was fine but as soon as we asked her to go her legs went everywhere and she just didn't know how to pick up and accelerate," he said.
Kendrick and jockey Adrian Coome, who rode her to victory at Eagle Farm, spent many weeks with Tambo's Jewel before she began to show signs of improvement.
"Adrian did a lot of work on her and she went from not being able to beat anything in trackwork to winning four out of her first five race starts," Kendrick said.
Kendrick has the Listed Sunshine Coast Guineas (1600m) in June as a goal for Tambo's Jewel.
"She's bred to run a mile and she's doing it all on natural ability at the moment," Kendrick said.
"We always thought she'd get over more ground and she's surprised us with the speed she's been showing.
"Because she's such a relaxed filly we're hopeful she can get over a bit further and still have a sprint at the end of it."