Former New Zealand mare Starring Role lived up to her name on her home track with an upset victory in Saturday’s Asset Painting Services Handicap (1600m) at Mornington.

Despite her last-start win at Pakenham on March 23, the six-year-old daughter of Showcasing went into Saturday’s A$80,000 Benchmark 70 handicap as a $17 outsider.

But Starring Role quickened smartly to score an impressive come-from-behind win, driven through a narrow gap one off the rail by jockey Fred Kersley and edging out fellow New Zealand-bred Thought Provoking in a photo finish.

Starring Role is trained locally by Max Hinton, and Saturday’s win was her third win from just six starts at the track.

“Time and time again, the horses that are trained here have shown how much they love racing here,” Kersley said. “Max has a small team that he trains here on course, and his attention to detail with all his horses really speaks volumes.

“This horse loves Mornington, and I like riding here too, so we’re all happy.

“They went really quick for the first half-mile today, and when things opened up near the inside, that was where I had to be. She won well.”

Starring Role has now had 42 starts for six wins and nine placings, earning A$249,296 in stakes.

Starring Role was bred by Mike Farquhar, Grant Mitchell, Bill Tutty and the estate of the late Rob Lund. She is co-owned by her breeders, along with Matamata trainer Glenn Old, who oversaw her 13-start career in New Zealand in 2019 and 2020. She placed in five of those 13 starts and was also an unlucky seventh in the Gr.3 Desert Gold Stakes (1600m) at Trentham.

The dam of Starring Role is Donelmi – a daughter of dual Group One winner Staring, and half-sister to the dam of champion racehorse and leading sire Dundeel. Donelmi has been represented by four winners from five foals to race.