3 minute read
Talented mare Reward Achiever will give her trainer Glenn Stevenson one of his biggest thrills in racing if she can win the Ladbrokes Devonport Cup (1880m) on Wednesday.
Glenn Stevenson hails from the Devonport region and has trained out of his property at Wesley Vale since he first became involved with horses.
Reward Achiever made her way into the cup field via the Sheffield Cup that she won by leading throughout over 1650m and while she has yet to win beyond that distance, Stevenson is confident the daughter of Anacheeva will run out a strong 1880m.
"I don't think the trip is an issue because she was still very strong on the line when she won the Sheffield Cup last start," Stevenson said.
Reward Achiever has blossomed since her Sheffield Cup win and Stevenson says he is going into the race quietly confident.
"I couldn't have the mare in any better order for the race.
"We've just had to keep her ticking over and apply some maintenance work where it's usually needed after she races."
The mare led throughout in the Sheffield Cup and Stevenson says he wouldn't be concerned if she did the same on Wednesday.
"I would expect her to roll forward from her inside gate (2) and see where that takes her but if she jumps clean she will be in the first four or leading."
Reward Achiever was partnered by Daniel Ganderton in the Sheffield Cup but he is replaced by reigning premier hoop Codi Jordan, who is indentured to Stevenson and Ganderton goes onto his favouite horse Alpine Wolf that he has partnered from day one.
Alpine Wolf has drawn the inside gate that could give him the gun run in the race and he comes off a third in the Newmarket and fifth in the weight-for-age Conquering Stakes but this race is an afterthought for the Alpine Eagle four-year-old as he was originally being aimed at the weight-for-age races.
However, his trainer Barry Campbell changed course when he realised Alpine Wolf would continually bump into The Inevitable who has won his past four of which the latest two were at weight-for-age.
The gelding has won over 2100m, so the 1880m trip on his home track won't be a concern.
Alpine Wolf's stablemate Dramazing has been consistent this time in and some time back the trainer said the Devonport Cup was her main mission.
The Artie Schiller mare won three in succession before an unlucky seventh of 14 in the Golden Mile in which she settled too far back, but she redeemed herself with a fast-finishing second to Reward Achiever in the Sheffield Cup, beaten almost two lengths.
The Scott Brunton-trained Sir Simon appeals as an each-way chance given his appreciation of the synthetic surface and that he likes to bowl along in or near the lead, so he could find the front from gate seven or camp outside of the leader.
