trainer Frank Cleary was rushing

four-year-old sprinter Lovely Lucy to

Canberra Veterinary Hospital for

emergency surgery, fearing it was too

late to save her life.

On Sunday he hopes that same

horse will win him the $20,000

Thunderbolt Handicap (1000m), the

second feature race of the

Queanbeyan Cup program.

Lovely Lucy appears primed to

claim the Thunderbolt after storming

home to win an Open Handicap

(1000m) at Wagga Wagga two weeks

ago.

But in February racing was the last

thing on the talented mare's agenda.

''She chewed on her lead rope and

it got tangled up in her bowel and

when they operated they found a bit

of her horse rug in there as well,''

Cleary said.

''She has a tendency to chew on

things and they chew and chew until

they swallow it.

''We thought she had colic, but

then when she had the operation and

they took the lead rope and bit of rug

out of her we realised that's why she

was off her feed.

''We thought she was [going to die]

at one stage and it's a lot of time to

get her back to the track I'll tell you.''

After the eight-hour operation

Cleary thought he would be lucky

just to have Lovely Lucy as a

broodmare.

But she showed a stronger

constitution than that and returned

to racing with a third at Queanbeyan

on April 13.

When she backed that up with her

last-start win at Wagga her eighth

victory from 22 starts Cleary knew

she was getting back to her best.

''She's come back in flying colours,

she's unbelievable,'' he said.

''A lot of them don't come back

from something like that.''

Lovely Lucy galloped strongly at

Queanbeyan yesterday and Cleary

was confident she could salute on

her home track.

The only thing worrying him was

forecast rain on Sunday.

''She ran a good time last start and

she finished off the race well.

''That run has improved her a little

bit so she should go well.

''She's got a good record.

''She'll handle it dead to slow but

after that she's in a bit of strife.''

Queanbeyan trainer Jules De Smet

won't start his star sprinting duo

New Edge and Fast Bullet in the

Thunderbolt, meaning Lovely Lucy is

likely to start as favourite.

Cleary earmarked Con

Karakatsanis's Rikkizar as Lovely

Lucy's main rival, but with his mare

jumping from barrier four and

Rikkizar out wider in gate eight he

said she should handle his early

speed.

''He's got a lot of speed but luckily

he's drawn outside us so we'll just try

to tuck inside it somewhere and

hopefully finish too strong for it.''