Tough as teak Dolcetto shrugged off his bridesmaid tag as he prevailed in a thrilling four-way finish to the second of the feature events at Wanganui Racecourse on Saturday – the Listed Ag Challenge Stakes (1600m).
The Sylvia Kay-trained six-year-old had been thereabouts in his recent starts but had failed to greet the judge since winning at Awapuni back in December 2017.
In his defence, eleven of his 15 subsequent runs have been in stakes company, including a last start third in the Listed Rangitikei Gold Cup (1600m) a fortnight ago.
The Per Incanto gelding entered Saturday's contest as one of the fittest horses in the event, a factor that played well in his favour on a deep and testing surface that saw a number of favoured candidates struggling with more than 600m to run.
Jockey Rosie Myers kept Dolcetto in a challenging position throughout and set out after local mare She's Poppy and three-year-old Platinum Rapper, who had swooped on the lead as the field turned for home.