A lack of pace early on turned the 3200m trot into a muddling affair, but the stragglers were dropping like flies in the last 400m when the sprint came.
It was left to Alley Way and Valmagne to fight out the finish, after Alley Way stole a six-length break at the top of the straight, and he held on to win by two lengths.
The 6yr-old's main aim is the Dominion Trot on November 14, with a $20,000 c4 and faster trot on New Zealand Cup day looking like an ideal preparation for the son of Monarchy, trainer Neville Skinner said.
Skinner was weighing up over winter whether to throw in a nomination for the Dominion Trot, after a Canterbury campaign proved both successful and profitable.
''I asked Colin De Filippi, where we were based [in April and May], about it and he said `nominate him','' Skinner said.
''He proved at Easter time that he was up with that grade and last week, the way he went past Jaccka Justy and The [Fiery] Ginga, that he can foot it with them.''
The trotters might have been tired after 3200m but both horses and drivers were exhausted after a torrid early speed in the amateur drivers mobile pace.
''I don't know who's more tired, me or the horse?'' driver Graeme Anderson joked after King Cyril won the 2200m amateur drivers' mobile pace.
King Cyril's victory also marked the first driving win for Anderson at Forbury Park after running second with Rock Of Tara at last season's Tuapeka meeting.
At the other end of the speed scale, Rory McIlwrick got away with daylight robbery behind Classiebee in race 10.
McIlwrick put the brakes on for much of the 2200m once he got to the lead with the McArdle gelding, and one 400m split was an extremely pedestrian 35.8sec.
Classiebee's win also provided Roxburgh trainers Geoff and Jude Knight with their first win at a Tuapeka meeting.
Gore owner Pat Kubala enjoyed success with Lightning Mach in race 4 but is hoping for more with Bit Of A Legend at Ashburton today.
Kubala was pleased to see Lightning Mach resuming in style after two wins as a juvenile, including one at Forbury Park.
''The way she shaped up today - she did that on her ear. It will be interesting to see if she keeps going on with it,'' Kubala said.
Kubala is a part-owner of Bit Of A Legend, who tackles Terror To Love and others in today's Ashburton Flying Stakes.
Bit Of A Legend's family was represented in race 5 when his full brother, Looksofalegend, won at his fourth career start.
''He's beautifully bred but he's a long way from being up to it yet,'' driver Blair Orange said.
''He lacks a little bit of speed, but he's a lovely colt, very quiet and that, so we'll probably look at moving him on and trying to sell him.''
Orange drove four winners on the day, with the other three victories coming through Hellavahanover, Strike On Command and Change Time.
