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With just over 300 metres to run in Saturday’s rating 65 1200 metre contest at Ruakaka, Cambridge trainer Gary Alton was resigning himself to a long trip home without a victory to celebrate from his three stable runners on the day.

After Escalate and Biologist had finished in the minor placings earlier in the day, Alton held high hopes for the stable’s last hope, Rockwell, leading into his race. However, after enjoying a perfect run in the trail throughout, the race favourite was floundering early in the run home and looked a spent force.

As good horses are want to do though Rockwell found plenty of reserves in the locker and under a vigorous ride from Leith Innes he dived on the line to snatch a narrow victory in a blanket finish.

“I had thought he was my best chance for the day but if you had told me he was going to win halfway down the straight I would have thought you were mad,” noted Alton.

“He was floating around doing nothing but when he finally put in he showed plenty of determination and put his nose in front where it matters.”

Alton took over the $300,000 yearling purchase after he returned from Hong Kong where he had sustained a tendon injury that prevented him from racing there. A first up win at Taupo in April last year was followed by a three race campaign in Queensland where he won at the Gold Coast before returning home for a winter spell.

Disaster struck again after he chipped a knee when resuming at Taupo in October and the gelding had been off the scene until he returned at Ruakaka for a tidy fifth over 1200 metres a fortnight ago.

“He has always shown any amount of ability but after that second injury there was some doubt that he would race again,” explained Alton.

“He is not really a winter horse and that first run was really just to see if he still wanted to be a racehorse. He went a nice race and has done well since with no signs of any problems so I was confident he would put in a good showing on Saturday.

“Now we know he wants to compete we can look ahead with him.

“He will handle some cut in the ground but we will just tick him over for a few weeks and start to get serious again when the tracks improve in the spring.

“I do think he has the ability to win a nice race if we can keep him in one piece.”