A week after Michelle Payne's miracle win on Prince of Penzance in the Melbourne Cup, another woman's having a tilt at a top racing prize after an amazing recovery from injury.
Natalie Rasmussen will drive Messini in tomorrow's New Zealand Trotting Cup at Addington just three weeks after breaking a bone in her elbow.
But she isn't going into the race with the thought of becoming the first female to win the New Zealand Trotting Cup.
"If you are the first woman to win, hey, that's great, that's good for you. I certainly don't go into the races looking at that," Rasmussen said.
She was almost scratched when three weeks ago she was injured in a tangle-up at the Methven races.
When an X-ray confirmed a break to the elbow it looked like Rasmussen's Cup chances were gone but now she's made a miracle recovery.
"Probably just lucky that I do heal pretty quick and I've kept active with it. Anyway I've had a fair bit of physio and that and been to the chiropractor."
She's back out training, working out on the same track as business partner and Cup rival Mark Purdon.
He's last year's winner and this year is driving another favourite from the All Stars stable, Smolda.
Even though he's driven more than 1000 winners, Purdon knows Rasmussen too well to take her lightly.
"Messini's certainly capable, Nat's certainly capable too. I'm sure they'll be formidable opposition," Purdon said.
Messini showed that with a sensational win in the Kaikoura Cup a week ago.
"Anything can happen. If we can capitalise on someone else's bad luck I think that's my biggest chance, I've just got to drive him a little bit quiet and hope for a run like Prince of Penzance had in the Cup," Rasmussen said.
Who knows, history could be made on the racetrack for the second time in a week.
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