Cliff Brown’s patience with Von Hauke has finally paid off, with the six-year-old gelding producing a career-best performance to land the Group 2 Crystal Mile (1600m) at Moonee Valley on Saturday.

The Savabeel son ended a long 19-month run without a win, surging through a late gap under Ethan Brown to capture the $400,000 feature.

It was sweet redemption for last year’s hard-luck story, when he finished fourth in the same event, and Brown said this latest success was a reflection of how far the horse had come.

“He’s a nice horse and he’s racing really tractably at the moment,” Brown said.

“I think you can see how well he was traveling as Ethan hadn’t moved and he just had to wait for the breaks.

“He was very good. He just needed the breaks and we got them.

“I think he’s really matured and everyone at home has done a great job with him.”

After finishing last first-up in The Heath (1100m), Von Hauke’s form had been steadily building with encouraging runs in the Group 3 Sandown Stakes (1500m) and Group 3 Headquarters Stakes (1400m).

After being hemmed in turning for home, the $10 chance exploded through a narrow gap to defeat Golden Path ($4.20) by a length, with Rise At Dawn ($2.90F) another nose away in third.

“I had him humming underneath me and I could see those horses rolling around so it was just a matter of time,” Ethan Brown said.

“We haven’t had a lot of luck lately but he stuck solid and we were able to get the job done today.”

Brown said Von Hauke’s next assignment would likely be a Group 1 test at Flemington’s Champions Day meeting, either in the Champions Mile or Champions Stakes.

Those planning a flutter on Von Hauke can find the latest odds at leading Australian betting sites including Sportsbet, Ladbrokes and TAB.