He overcame a bad start and was handled with tremendous assurance by 20-year-old Morgan Woodley, who was driving the six-year-old for the first time for leading trainer Gary Hall sen.

Indian Giver's victory by a half-length over Report For Duty ended a losing sequence of eight and showed that he should be a leading candidate for the $250,000 Stallion Station Fremantle Cup over 2902m in a fortnight.

"He loved the long journey," Woodley said. "I think a lot of Gary's horses appreciate the longer trip. They're trained to be really dour and this probably takes some of the sprint legs out of them.

"Getting the feel of him tonight, I think he'll be pretty competitive in some of the bigger races."

Indian Giver, a 7/1 chance who paid $10.60 on the tote, gave his backers a scare when he galloped from the 10m mark. But Woodley did not panic and quickly had the New Zealand-bred gelding into a pacing action after losing about three lengths.

Smooth Shift led for the first 250m before Greg Kersley sent Nickelmeldon to the front. Indian Giver settled in seventh position and Woodley sent him forward, three wide, after 450m.

Indian Giver then moved into the breeze and was still left without cover when Bob Mellsop sent 20m co-backmarker Our Malabar with a fast move to the front 900m after the start.

But then 20m marker Report For Duty surged forward to race outside the pacemaking Our Malabar. Report For Duty went past Our Malabar with 100m to travel, but was unable to hold out the fast-finishing Indian Giver.

Alzona, favourite at 2/1, was prominent, one-out and one-back in the middle stages, before being shuffled back to eighth at the bell. He was hampered for room in the final circuit before getting clear and going five wide on the home turn. He finished solidly into fourth place.

Ken Casellas