Barry Campbell and Kelvin Sanderson continued their domination of feature races this summer at Devonport on Wednesday but on this occasion they didn’t combine for success.
Sanderson teamed with Glenn Stevenson to provide the trainer with his third successive win in the $125,000 Devonport Cup (1880m), with Asva charging home from the back to prevail narrowly over stablemate Ashy Boy.
The gelded son of Capitalist enjoyed a box-seat trail in taking the Brighton Cup over 2020 metres third up at his previous outing but had to be ridden colder back in trip on Wednesday.
Once he got to the outside in the home straight he launched late to compete the feature double.
It was a much improved run from Ashy Boy, who had finished rearward at his first three runs this time in — but he was entitled to lift after somehow getting in on the minimum despite winning the past two editions of the north-west feature.
Asva’s victory provided Stevenson with a treble at the meeting. He’d kicked off earlier with Stone Cold Stunner, who led throughout under 4kg claimer Kirra-Lee Lane in the benchmark 66 handicap over 1650 metres.
Stevenson then made it a running double with Judge Jenni, who was also able to lead from go to whoa under Craig Newitt in the maiden/Class 1 plate over the same trip.
It would’ve been an anxious watch for Campbell in last season’s $109,000 Carpet Charge (1009m) when his then rising star Durazzo only got clear late before nailing Victorian raider Beast Mode right on the line. He had no such worries this year as his boom filly Sanniya ran her rivals ragged.
The daughter of Stratosphere jumped straight to the front before giving her rivals the slip on straightening and cruising to a soft, super-impressive seven-length win under Newitt.
Campbell went on to complete a double at the meeting with Tuskegee coming from just off the pace under Lauryn Bingley to take the final event on the card, a benchmark 64 handicap over the Devonport Cup route.