In her own words, an incredibly brave Nicole Wallace honoured her late mother, Group 1-winning trainer Pauline Moran, the "only way I knew how" at Wentworth Park last Sunday night.
Honour her mother Nicole most certainly did.
With more than a little help from the family's classy young sprinter Late In Winter in the heats of the Group 3 Ultra Sense (520m).
Last Thursday, Pauline Moran sadly passed away, aged 73, only five months after losing her husband Steve, the former NSW GBOTA Racing Manager.
The Morans famously trained champion stayer Total Denial in the early 2000s, a G1 winner and former Wentworth Park 720m record holder.
They also prepared Peter Mosman Classic winner Run The Risk and his daughter Wez Da Risk, a Golden Easter Egg finalist in 2012.
Just three days after losing her mum, Nicole courageously stuck to a plan formulated by mother and daughter to run kennel star Late In Winter in the heats of the Ultra Sense, named in honour of the inaugural winner of the Golden Easter Egg.
"I'll be honest, I didn't know if I was doing the right thing or not, but my husband, Ian, said to me that this is the only way you know how to honour her," Nicole said.
"He was right, because racing is how I feel closest to Mum and Dad.
"I really think Mum would've been so proud."
Nicole leads Late In Winter out for the Ultra Sense heat on Sunday
It's been an incredibly difficult period for Nicole, her husband Ian, and four-year-old daughter Addison.
After Steve Moran passed away last November, Nicole and Pauline followed his wishes and continued to race – very successfully – with Late In Winter, a son of Aston Rupee and Lanmore Cutie, qualifying for the finals of the G1 National Derby and G2 Richmond Derby this year.
Nicole identified the Ultra Sense as a more suitable target than the Easter Egg for Late In Winter and in the toughest of personal circumstances she ventured to Wentworth Park to see the plan through.
Poignant vision of Nicole embracing Late In Winter prior to his heat would've moved the hardest of hearts.
Emotions ran even higher when Late In Winter, named after Leighton Winter, who raced the great Total Denial, fired out of box seven to lead and with a wing on every paw he broke clear to record a 29.78 victory, his 10th win from 26 starts.
"When I saw him get to the front, I said to myself, ‘Please, do this for her. Please.'
"I suggested to Mum that we give the Easter Egg a miss and set him for the Ultra Sense, trying to keep him in his grade, and she agreed. He's only young and has been racing against dogs like Cumbria Jack.
"I couldn't believe he won. He's an absolutely beautiful dog.
Late In Winter
"I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do it, but the support I got from so many people was incredible.
"About ten years ago Mum suffered a bad bout of bronchitis and she was on life support and since then she's had heart and lung problems and wasn't able to handle the dogs.
"So Dad and I would do the physical work and Mum was still giving the orders!
"Mum and Dad did everything together and it's nice to think they're back together again now."
In what is bound to be a night of high emotion at Wentworth Park on Saturday, it's unlikely there will be a dry eye in the house if Late In Winter, which will fittingly race in Pauline Moran's name, can win the Ultra Sense.
The late Pauline Moran pictured with daughter Nicole and family after My Roadster Boy won at Richmond in November
