The Chris Waller-trained Snow Alert stuck his neck out in a driving finish to claim the Listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury on Saturday.Waller said the victory was a significant achievement for the gelding who has come back from a serious throat illness that at one point threatened his career.The four-year-old had a throat abscess after his spring campaign but the trainer said part-owner Judy Marheine "nursed him back to 100 per cent health"."And it looks like he's come back in terrific shape," Wal

The Chris Waller-trained Snow Alert stuck his neck out in a driving finish to claim the Listed Rowley Mile at Hawkesbury on Saturday.

Waller said the victory was a significant achievement for the gelding who has come back from a serious throat illness that at one point threatened his career.

The four-year-old had a throat abscess after his spring campaign but the trainer said part-owner Judy Marheine "nursed him back to 100 per cent health".

"And it looks like he's come back in terrific shape," Waller said.

Apprentice Daniel Ganderton gave Snow Alert ($6) plenty of room on the outside during the run and the gelding showed plenty of fight in the straight to defeat Keffiya ($11) by a head with a short head to Parfumier ($9.50) in third.

Waller had some pre-race concerns with the Hawkesbury track being downgraded to a dead (4) from a good (3) early in the day.

Snow Alert had shown in the past that he was not comfortable on shifting surfaces.

"Everything went to plan to the turn and I said to Daniel just to come wide because I thought he would struggle in the going with the track downgrade," Waller said.

"Obviously the track is not as bad as I thought because he's hopeless in shifty ground.

"He got through it well and put his neck out at the right time.

"I think it was credit to Daniel's ride, the timing with a horse like him was perfect."

The Rowley Mile win by Snow Alert brought up a winning double for Waller who earlier trained stayer Beijing Boy to victory in the Mitavite Provincial Stayers Championship Final (2250m).

Snow Alert settled back in the field as Mentality took up the running, but Ganderton made sure he kept the Waller-trained runner's momentum going with clear running and it proved the winning move.

"I thought I was toast at one point in the straight but the more I got into him the more he responded. It was a gritty win," Ganderton said.

The Gerald Ryan-trained Keffiya produced an encouraging effort to finish second at her first Australian start.