"I'm shocked!" she declared after the 10km Logan Memorial Handicap having stated earlier that she had "not a hope in hell" of winning the race after her maiden victory just eight days before.

Typically, a runner is re-handicapped, or "pulled back" to concede a greater start to others after a win, but somehow she blew that encumbrance away with little sense of self-preservation.

"How did that happen?" she asked before answering the question herself.

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"I think I was more relaxed, with no one expecting me to win, I felt no pressure and just went out to enjoy myself."

Fast and relentless as she is, the mercurial club rookie suffers from a chronic bronchial condition that compels her to stop, albeit briefly, to gather her breath.

"Last week I had to stop 15 times but this time, with no expectation, I only had 10 stops for one or two seconds and that might have made all the difference."

With 700 metres to run Pettingill only had the sturdy veteran Peter Gibson left to run down but the runner-up didn't give in without a fight.

By the time they reached the timekeepers, just four seconds separated the combatants with Gabe Tonks, the schoolboy flyer, flashing home to run third.

Significantly, Pettingill's winning time of 51 minutes was the fastest she has run over that distance since 2018.

The club regroups for the eight kilometre Gallagher Family Handicap at Ararat this Sunday. The race starts at 9.45 am from the Picnic Point Car Park. Fun runners are welcome.

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