It might have taken nine starts to break his maiden status, but the John Thompson-trained Deniliquin delivered an incredible performance to register the first win of his career at Gosford on Tuesday. 

The four-year-old son of Cox Plate winner Adelaide was a rock-solid favourite at $2.15 for the Industree Group Maiden Handicap over 1900m, coming off a second placing behind Carolina Fire the start prior at Hawkesbury. 

However, backers of Deniliquin would’ve been ripping up their tickets when the field of 10 runners left the straight for the first time. 

With little pace in the race, the gelding began to overrace at the back of the field approaching the winning post the first time. 

The Paul Perry-trained Pippen was doing the same, before he veered out sharply to his left, taking Josh Parr and Deniliquin right off the track. 

“Something’s happened at the first turn and the favourite’s been flattened,” caller Luke Marlow remarked. 

The severe interference left Deniliquin, sporting the famous silks of Dato Tan Chin Nam, with some work to do to tack back on to the tail of the field. 

Parr began to pick his way though the field on the favourite turning for home, before getting a gap at the top of the straight. 

Despite the extra distance covered by the early commotion, the Adelaide gelding came with a strong charge to fight out the finish with Emerging ($11) for the Godolphin stable. 

Showing plenty of fight, Denilliquin had just enough left in the tank to deny a late dive from Emerging, prevailing by 0.09L for a memorable maiden win.

Story courtesy of punters.com.au