She’s the pride of a country town better known for its livestock and sheep shearing, but a tough and still lightly-raced mare is primed to fleece her opposition in Monday’s feature sprint at Orange.

Outback Angel heads into a Benchmark 66 handicap over 1000m to close the meeting, hunting a fourth career win from just 10 starts.

And her little-known trainer and owner Allan McRae served up a nice pointer when he scratched the mare from a very winnable race at Albury on Saturday to save her for this.

A daughter of renowned sprint sire Super One, Outback Angel hasn’t raced since a dominant BM 58 win at Albury by nearly four lengths back on November 8.

Since then, she’s been kept ticking over back on the local property, surrounded by the knowledge she’s nearly always at her best when on the fresher side.

Outback Angel, who rarely trials, put the writing on the wall when she resumed off a 23-week break with a strong closing run at Albury.

Ridden much closer next start over the flying 900m there, she put her rivals to the sword with ease, and now steps back up in grade, again with comeback jockey John Kissick in the saddle.

And Outback Angel could well be aimed at a Highway short course in Sydney if she wins again in her first outing at Orange.

In an open contest, she opened around $3.80 in early betting well clear of both Parkes-based Obsessive Nature and Cowra mare Violet And Blue on the $7.00 line.