A wobbly-legged Ground Control was not quite living up to his name in the concluding stages of the $35,000 Stepitup 2013 Stakes, a Maiden race over 1600m, as he kept drifting in and out under pressure, but luckily for his connections, he was still able to power home to nail down his first career win at the last hop on Sunday.

The Red Giant four-year-old showed significant improvement at his last two runs when a closing third, but when favourite Athena shot clear at the 400m mark, another placing seemed to be the best result he could settle for.

It did not help matters that the $21 shot laid in on several occasions, with jockey Glen Boss having to take corrective action, just to bring him back on the right path.

Athena (Michael Rodd), however, shortened strides close home, which suddenly turned the race complexion into a winnable race for Ground Control. Riding with renewed vigour, Boss kept driving Ground Control hard to the line as they went chipping away at the margin until they finished locked together with Athena at the wire.

The photo print gave the verdict to Ground Control by a nose. Black Swan (A’Isisuhairi Kasim) finished third another 3 ¼ lengths away. The winning time was 1min 35.57secs for the mile on the Long Course.

Trainer Michael Clements was a little bemused by the wayward run in the last 400m, saying there is still work to be done.

“He’s never done this before. I’m not quite sure what it was, whether he resented the whip, I will have to speak to Glen,” said the Zimbabwean-born trainer.

“He was hanging in the whole way and had to come back out a few times. If he got beat, he would have been unlucky.

“He drew a good barrier (three) today and we decided to use it. Glen had him in a good spot throughout, and that went a long way towards his first win here.”

Boss, who rode him for the first time at his last start when a closing third to Lim's Royal two months ago, said the awkward running action did concern him, but he was glad he was able to still extract the best out of him.

“His last three runs were full of merit. Today the plan was to follow Athena wherever she went,” said the Australian jockey.

“I was probably one more pair back further, but we were in the slipstream and had full control of the race.

“But then he clipped heels when I popped him out, and I think he felt sore around the joint. He still won well and will win more races here.”

That will certainly be music to the ears of his owner Joe Singh, who later on recombine with Clements and Boss aboard his unbeaten star Countofmontecristo in the Group 1 Singapore Guineas (1600m).