One For The Rodi wins Inter City Pace at Maitland for Cessnock trainer Andrew Stapleford

One For The Rodi, now with six wins in 10 career starts, was a $2.60 favourite in the 60^th edition of the group 3 event after a 34m heat victory a week earlier.

In the $30,600 decider, though, the gelding had to deal with an awkward draw in nine - three out on the second line.

Caught three wide early with eventual runner-up Kobys Delight ($4), Formosa restrained One For The Rodi and found a spot three back in the running line. Josh Gallagher pushed the Stephen Farrugia-trained Kobys Delight to the lead.

Formosa took One For The Rodi around the field three wide at the bell for the last lap and eventually they sidled up to Kobys Delight as they rounded the final bend.

Despite the tough final lap, One For The Rodi proved too strong on the line, beating four-year-old Kobys Delight by a head. Darren Elder-trained Rocktagonal ($26) was third.

Celebrations were paused post-race when replays were checked for possible interference by Formosa on Dean Chapple-driven Heavenly Sign, but they resumed soon after with a cheer when the all clear was given.

It was a career highlight for hobby trainer Stapleford, who also bred and part-owns the Shoobees Place gelding, and came after a "gut-wrenching" luckless run when last in the Breeders Challenge Regional Series heat at Newcastle a month earlier.

"People say things happen for a reason, and if he'd won that race, I don't think he'd have been eligible for Maitland. He would have been too high a grade," Stapleford said.

"It's very exciting because it's a race that I think everyone who trains a horse in the Hunter Valley wants to win. It's difficult to win and for a three-year-old having just his 10th start, you couldn't be more proud of him."

Stapleford, who stables and works One For The Rodi at Formosa's Ellalong property, said the possibility of pushing forward early on Friday night was spoken about, but the decision to go back made it "a great drive".

"The way he went, getting a bit hot early, I think it would have been very detrimental had he pushed on and sat parked," he said.

"He's a horse that can do it, he has that in him, but it's very important that they relax to do that. It was a great drive.

"The horse was even more impressive in the heat and then he had a good week, and I was really happy with him, but he just got a little bit buzzed up at the start when Michael had to push through to hold his spot.

"Then he overraced for probably 300-400 metres and Michael had to ease him away from them to get him to drop the bit. So when he had to make that run a lap out, he didn't have the speed he showed the week before when he relaxed a lot better.

"It was a bit more of a grind for him to win and wasn't as impressive to the eye, but for me, knowing the way he overdid it early and to still battle hard against a pretty good horse who had won his past four and had a pretty easy lead, for a three-year-old to do that going to a mile and a half, it was pretty good."

Stapleford said One For The Rodi had recovered well from the run on Saturday, putting a shot at the Golden Guitar heats at Tamworth on January 15 on the radar.