It looked bleak for punters when race favourite Cordero was near the tale of the field, smothered away with nowhere to go, coming into the straight in the Listed Australia Day Cup (2400m) at Warwick Farm.
Brenton Avdulla took the only option left, switch back to the rails and ride for luck and it was the winning move. Stuck hard up against the rails, Cordero finished best to nose out Dee I Cee with the ever-consistent Destiny's Kiss carrying his 60.5 kgs into third.
The progressive 4yo gelding made it four wins on the trot while ringing up number one at his first stakes attempt.
Trained by Michael, Wayne and John Hawkes, Cordero advances his overall record to six wins and one third from 12 starts with earnings of $300,465.
He becomes the first stakes-winner in Australia for the one-season Arrowfield shuttler Gio Ponti (USA).
Brenton Avdulla said it was more a matter of luck than good judgement.
"I think it was more luck than anything, he said.
"It became a very muddling run race, I found the back of Hughie (Bowman) on Montauk thinking he would take me somewhere but he just wanted to sit and trying to get cover so I went back to the fence and got a miracle run.
Hawkes stable representative said little went right in the early stages.
"I won't lie, I was cussing in the middle stages when I saw how slow they were going. It was a huge effort by the horse and Brenton. He got a lovely run up the inside and was really tough at the end.
"He has continued to work through the grades this preparation. This was a step-up for him and he showed he was up to the mark.
"He is a lovely, progressive type so you'd only think he could only improve from here."
Passed in short of his $140,000 reserve when consigned by Arrowfield Stud at the 2015 Inglis Australian Easter Yearling Sale, Cordero (pictured as a yearling ) races in the colours of his breeder Jim Cloros.
The son of Gio Ponti is a half-brother to Group[ II Ajax Stakes winner Messene (Lonhro).
His dam Belle Giselle (Redoute's Choice) is out of the unraced Kenmare mare Mam'selle Giselle who is a sister to Group 1 Australia Guineas winner Baryshnikov and a half-sister to Zabeel who also won the Group 1 Australia Guineas before rewriting the record books at Cambridge Stud, New Zealand.
After foaling another filly by Dundeel, Belle Giselle was one of 120 mares to visit Maurice (JPN) last spring.
A 7-time Group 1 winner in America, Gio Ponti (Tale Of The Cat) (pictured ) left just 40 live foals in his only southern hemisphere season in 2012.
