The Campania training team of Chris Crook and Imogen Miller celebrated a two-state weekend double when Trusted Warrior stormed to a barnstorming win in the final event at Launceston last Sunday, a Class 1 handicap over 1420 metres.
The Trusting gelding settled worse than midfield but quickly rounded up his rivals when asked for the supreme effort, surging away to score by seven lengths.
Although it was only his second victory the three-year-old has always shown potential and was stakes-placed in the Hobart Guineas behind Northwest Passage over the summer.
The win followed on from stable star Tshahitsi’s dominant all-the-way victory at Flemington last Saturday. 
It was the second successive $100,000 win in Victoria for the Clangalang gelding, who will now extend his stay interstate to contest the Winter Championship series.
Both of the Crook/Miller team’s winners were ridden by leading hoop Brendon McCoull.
Trusted Warrior’s win completed a double for McCoull at Launceston as he had also taken the maiden/Class 1 plate over 2130 metres aboard the Bill Ryan-trained Broadway Velvet.
Blacker packs his guns
Another Tasmanian headed interstate is the John Blacker-trained Zatacla, who scored an impressive victory in the Class 2 handicap over 1220 metres at Launceston. 
The Al Maher three-year-old gelding was one of the last turning for home but unleashed a powerful finish, despite having to change course in the final 100 metres, to score going away under two-kilo claimer Hayley McCarthy.
Zatacla’s next start will be in a heat of the Silver Bowl series at Flemington next Saturday. 
He will be accompanied on the trip across Bass Strait by this season’s Devonport Cup winner, Powercharged, as well as last season’s TTC Newmarket placegetter Erin’s Element.
Blacker took training honours at Launceston as he had earlier taken the day’s opener, a two-year-old handicap over 1220 metres with Need a Queen, who came again after being headed for a narrow win under apprentice Chris Graham.
It was a deserved win for the daughter of Needs Further, who had placed at her first three runs this time in work.