Trainer Leon Corstens has ended a losing streak to start the New Year with Sneaky Tsu leading all the way to win the Maidstone Handicap at Flemington.Corstens has been searching for a winner since Morossa won at Geelong on November 15 and broke a run of 57 outs with Sneaky Tsu, who was also his last city winner at Moonee Valley on November 13."We needed that win," assistant trainer Troy Corstens said."Nothing has been happening for us. We have had an atrocious time."Corstens trained 12 seconds a

Trainer Leon Corstens has ended a losing streak to start the New Year with Sneaky Tsu leading all the way to win the Maidstone Handicap at Flemington.

Corstens has been searching for a winner since Morossa won at Geelong on November 15 and broke a run of 57 outs with Sneaky Tsu, who was also his last city winner at Moonee Valley on November 13.

"We needed that win," assistant trainer Troy Corstens said.

"Nothing has been happening for us. We have had an atrocious time."

Corstens trained 12 seconds and eight thirds as luck deserted the stable.

"It is just nice to get the monkey off the back," Corstens said.

Sneaky Tsu has been a revelation for the stable this campaign, graduating from a Murtoa maiden win first-up in October to Friday's 1400m success in town.

"She has come a long way to winning at Flemington in one preparation," Corstens said.

"She has done a really good job and has a great heart."

Corstens paid tribute to apprentice Nathan Rose, who used his initiative to lead on Sneaky Tsu and score a three-quarter length win over Ruby Slippers, with dead-heaters Better Be The One and Gardner the same margin away third.

"The instructions were to lead only if he had to, but the preference was to be sitting second or third,"' Corstens said.

Sneaky Tsu will now go for a break.

However, the John McArdle-trained Nullarbor Crossing, who won the Flemington 1840-2010 Handicap (1000m), is just warming up this campaign.

The rank outsider at $51 jumped well from the gates and was with the leaders all the way, before drawing away to win by 1-1/2 lengths from Kariba Kariba ($6) with Silver Bullion ($2.80 fav) a half-neck away third.

McArdle rated the gelding a genuine winning chance after his last-start third at Caulfield and admitted it was "a bit of shock" to see his starting price.

"I thought he was a 10-1 chance," he said.

"He was strong at the finish of a nice race at Caulfield the other week and dropped down to 53kg."

McArdle said Nullarbor Crossing, who has throat and sesamoid problems, appreciated the straight course.