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Star sprinter Deroche leads throughout for game win on home soil.
Star sprinter Deroche bounced back from a flop interstate to score a decisive win in an open handicap in Launceston last Friday night that formed part of a stable treble for Hall of Fame trainer Barry Campbell.
Deroche finished last of eight at Sandown in a benchmark 90 event over 1000m at the end of last month.
But back on home soil and with Brendon Mccoull aboard, the talented mare delivered a strong all-the-way over Geegee Trendsetter and the winner's stablemate Fragment.
"The mare went terrible in Melbourne but there was some reason behind it and I'm not sure what it was," Campbell said.
"I did a bit of work on her hocks when she came home but her work this past week had been good, so I thought she was in good enough order to win.
"She's done a good job tonight because she's carried 59kg and the runner-up (Geegee Trendsetter) that's won 10 races carried only 52.5kg."
Deroche ($1.70 fav) did what she does best at this most recent outing, leading throughout and finding enough when challenged seriously by Geegee Trendsetter over the concluding stages.
Campbell said Deroche would most likely be aimed at the rich mares' races (Bow Mistress and Vamos Stakes) later in the season.
Campbell had runners in three races and won them all with Le Cadeau notching his first win in well over a year in a 0-68 handicap over 1120m and Assaranca made it back-to-back wins with a narrow victory in a benchmark 68 over 1620m.
Le Cadeau was sensationally backed to start the $1.90 favourite after as much as $2.90 was offered, but those who took the short odds would have had heart flutters when he was one of three that hit the line almost in sync.
Campbell's gelding gained the nod over Sidorova and Hannah's Song with less than a half-head separating the trio.
"Le Cadeau was a terrific run at his previous start, and I thought he could win and thankfully he got the bob in.
"It was a nice win carrying plenty of weight and that was his third run back from a spell so he should improve from the run.
"He hasn't won for a long time, but Leanne (Gaffney) did the right thing and gave him a long spell and he came to me in real good order."
Le Cadeau won twice as a two-year-old in the care of Gaffney that included the Tasmanian Magic Millions Classic but after only four starts last season he was sent for a spell.
Assaranca ($2.30 into $1.70 fav) delivered a game effort to lead throughout and win the benchmark 68 over 1620m, albeit by the narrowest of margins, scoring by a nose from So Astounding in a five-horse field.
The four-year-old mare has always given the impression she will stay, and Campbell says the mare will be tested over 2100m, probably at her next start.
"Assaranca goes a lot better on grass than she does on the synthetic at Devonport because here (Launceston) she shows a good turn of foot while she is more of a grinder at Devonport.
"I haven't got anything particular mapped out for the mare, but she'll tell us where we should head once we get her over more ground."
Assaranca was ridden by apprentice Codi Jordan who said the mare is looking for more ground.
"She's a different horse this preparation and considering it took me about 1100 metres to pull her up I'd be chucking her over 2100m as soon as possible," Jordan said.
