The persistence of Newcastle trainer David Atkins has paid dividends with Promitto posting his first win since the 2022 Skyline Stakes (1200m) in Saturday’s Midway Handicap (1800m) at Rosehill.

The gelding claimed the Group 2 juvenile feature, run on a heavy 10 track, at his second start, and while he went on to place behind Cascadian in that year’s Craven Plate (2000m), he had been struggling to recapture his best form since.

He gave an indication he might be turning the corner with a last start second to West Of Africa over a mile at Randwick and went one better on Saturday.

“He won that Group race on a bog track, but he actually might be a dry tracker,” winning apprentice Benjamin Osmond said.

“Since that last run, he might have grown a bit of confidence.

“Today, he got in a great spot. He wasn’t really travelling like the winner at the top of the straight, but he got there.”

Forecaster ($7) led and gave a strong kick in the straight and while Promitto ($15) took an age to warm up, he ground down his fellow Newcastle-trained rival by a half-neck with Koning ($7) the same margin away third.