Old warhorse Hammer Down turned back the clock with a vintage performance from yesteryear to take out the $100,000 Open Benchmark 83 race over 1200m on Sunday.

Ridden by jockey Lisa Allpress, the seven-year-old son of O’Reilly beat Astrostar (Ivaldo Santana) by a length-and-a-quarter while $9 favourite Magneto (Nooresh Juglall) had to settle for third, another half-length adrift. The winning time on the Polytrack was 1min 12.56secs.

More than two years have elapsed since the Bruce Marsh-trained galloper last tasted victory. In the 29 starts following his win in a Kranji Stakes A (1200m) on May 18, 2012, Hammer Down has managed just three placings during that period while finishing sixth or worse on 17 occasions.

Unsurprisingly, there was little support to speak of for the New Zealand-bred gelding whose odds of $129 (only the $277-rated Encosta Diablo was less-fancied in the eight-horse field) reflected the public’s faith in his chances of eclipsing the likes of the highly-rated Argentinian import Magneto who won five times last year as well as the classy Mycaptainoblivious (John Powell), with four wins and three placings from his seven starts at Kranji.

But Hammer Down paid no heed to reputation or the form books as he completed a remarkable come-from-behind victory that had his connections beaming with satisfaction.

“Bruce felt he wasn’t finishing his races well in the past and wanted to get him to the back and let him run on,” said stable representative Gabriel Hessian, who was speaking on behalf of his boss who was overseas.

“His last start (finishing sixth over 1000m a week ago) was actually pretty good. His last sectional was very quick and we were very happy with his work.

“Once he got down to the lower weights which he was on today (at 50kg) Bruce thought he was going to produce a good run, which is exactly what he did today.”

The absent Kiwi trainer may be holidaying in South Africa but has been keeping himself updated of the goings-on at Kranji and would have been delighted with a productive week from his stable. His apprentice Zuriman Zulkifli had steered Genuine Bargain to victory in an earlier race to give Marsh a winning double for the afternoon’s programme and with his tally of 32 winners, Marsh is hovering just outside the top-five in the premiership.

It was also a rewarding day for fellow Kiwi Allpress who managed a brace after saluting aboard another longshot Virgin Galactic in an earlier race.

“Very happy to be winning again,” she said. “We wanted to race him at the back and let him find his feet. The stable was very happy with his last start and he finished very strongly out there today.”

Still at the rear of the field at the top of the straight, Hammer Down somehow found that extra gear that had proved so elusive for some time and swept past horse after horse to cross the winning post with plenty to spare.

“He’s a hard-going horse but we know he’s got ability, even if he hasn’t won in a while,” said Hessian.

With his third win from 37 starts, Hammer Down has now chalked up over $260,000 in stakes earnings for Marsh’s Tudor Lodge Racing Stable.