After a mixed spring campaign, brilliant mare Deroche was back to her best  at Launceston on Wednesday night, taking the listed $125,000 Newmarket (1200m).
The Barry Campbell-trained daughter of Needs Further found just enough to score in a three-horse field at Devonport when resuming on September 5 but failed on her first try across Bass Strait second up (pictured right). 
She then returned home for a comfortable win at Launceston before a below-par performance in the Goodwood at Hobart.
But with blinkers applied for the first time on Wednesday night, Campbell’s charge jumped quickly from her wide draw and was able to cross the field to take up the running. 
She then gave her rivals the slip on straightening before digging deep to give her hoop, Codi Jordan, the biggest win of her career.
Deroche’s faithful followers were richly rewarded. She started at $21, the equal-longest price of her career. (She started at the same quote in her September flop at Sandown.)
Deroche has started odds-on in 15 of her 22 starts, winning on 12 of those occasions.
All up she’s had 22 starts for 13 wins, five minor placings and $558,789.
The Glenn Stevenson-trained I’m Wesley was gallant in defeat after racing outside Deroche throughout in his bid to win the state’s premier sprint for a fourth time at his first run for 21 months, just holding second position from Scott Brunton’s fast-finishing stablemates First Accused and The Inevitable.
The night wasn’t a washout for Stevenson, who took the other feature, the $100,000 3YO Cup (1200m), with last season’s top juvenile Turk Warrior.
With regular partner Ismail Toker aboard, the Outreach gelding shared the pace outside leader Majestic Diamond before taking over at the top of the straight. 
He was never seriously challenged in the run to the line, remaining unbeaten from seven attempts.
His main rival in betting, Alpine Wolf, lost no admirers in his first defeat, hitting the line hard from midfield to finish just three-quarters of a length behind the winner in second.
The exciting pair are likely to clash again on the December 15 in the 3YO Trophy at the same track over 1400 metres.