Racing
Asva wins locally dominated Launceston Cup
Asva has produced a sharp form reversal from a Hobart Cup failure to victory in the Group 3 Ladbrokes Launceston Cup on Wednesday afternoon.
One of the first horses beaten in the Hobart Cup, Asva ($26) was friendless in betting heading into the Group 3 Launceston Cup (2400m) with the market dominated by mainland raiders Ziryab ($3.60F) and Taramansour ($3.80).
That well fancied pair were nowhere to be seen at the finish as Asva led in a local trifecta ahead of Zulu Angel and Distrustful Award. No Rumours in sixth was the best performed interstate runner.
"I knew I had a fair horse, I put a line through the last run," winning trainer Glenn Stevenson said.
"If he can get put to sleep in his chance.
"He's always shown the ability, it's just been a matter of actually getting mature. It's a maturity thing that's been with him, and he's finally grown into the horse he is."
Settled worse than midfield, Asva moved three-wide in the back straight with jockey Jett Stanley electing to go for home early five deep around runners aboard the six-year-old and hit the front 400m home.
Trainer and jockey painted two very different pictures of the ride post race.
"To be honest, you sit, and you go 'what's happened here, what's he doing? Oh my God' He won though so it's a great ride," Stevenson said.
"Once we got into the side straight, there was a three wide moving line which I thought would take me where we needed to be," winning jockey Jett Stanley said.
"From about the 700m, I was going too well. For 2400m horses, if you don't know whether they can do it or not, there is only one way to test them – that's just to let them go when they are travelling that well.
"He went around them so easily and effortlessly. From the 200m I was just trying to think of my salute."
In the other features on the program, Sanniya ($1.50F) for Barry Campbell and Star Thoroughbreds was a convincing winner of the Group 3 Vamos Stakes (1400m) as she stretched her unbeaten run to five straight.
John Keys trained the quinella in the 3YO Classic (1200m) with Swift Force ($2.90) beating stablemate Zambezi Blonde while Steparty ($2.25) made it two wins from as many starts in Tasmania this prep by taking out the Listed Hellova Street Stakes (1600m).
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