That was when luck intervened, and a chance encounter set the wheels in motion that would make Cher a pop star again.

Many observers felt Marshman was on his way to a comfortable victory before luck intervened.

But bad luck intervened again when, having been well-received, its run at the Opéra-Comique in Paris ended when the theatre burned after the third performance.

Perhaps luck would intervene, but that was not anything a man wanted to hang his hopes on.

But luck intervened.

But it looked like fate or dumb luck had intervened for good, for once in his miserable life: he'd found a hacker.

The officer promptly apprehended him, and he did a short spell - "three days, perhaps a week" - at Rikers Island before luck again intervened.

His men had swung their mounts to break away, but then bad luck had intervened, and an arrow had pierced the chest of Ostaran's horse.

And for all the special challenges of the neighbohood, luck has intervened at one pivotal point after the next.

Head to head, it had been a no contest until dumb luck intervened.